TREE OF AEONS 5

I could tell all the members present were seriously contemplating it, and some looked at each other, wondering whether it was even possible.

But they knew it was. TheyÆd seen my void mages, and it was entirely possible for mages with teleportation spells to swiftly capture any nobility or general, especially with our Valthorns huge level gap and superior equipment.

No one was safe. Not when we could reach anywhere in the world instantly.

The heroes stared at each other before Prabu laughed and everyone else followed. It was a good thing they were in their own soundproof chamber so no one else could hear them.

- Oh lord. A/ Æs going to catch all the naughty boys and send them to the naughty corner. -

- Does that work? IÆm sure people are greedy and? -

- It might. - Ken nodded. - Fear does great things to people. WhatÆs happening now is that all these people waging this war are increasingly arrogant and belligerent, confident in their own strength. -

- You know that doesnÆt work. ItÆll just return eventually, - Colette said. - Naughty kids donÆt get better from going to jail or detention. -

- There is no one better suited to break the souls of warmongers. -

Back in the larger hall, one of the spymasters, Varida, stood. - IÆm in agreement. I believe it will work. If anything, it is about damned time A/ asserts our strength and reminds the world that things must be done in moderation. -

The crowd stared in horror at the spymaster. One lord looked back at Matreearch Hoyia. - Matreearch, do you believe in this? -

Matreearch Hoyia shrugged. - Those who live in fortunate times do not know how fortunate they are. It would be helpful to remind these ignorant ants gnawing at A/ Æs roots and give them a small dose of A/ Æs Perspective. -

The same spymaster smirked at HoyiaÆs wordplay. - I propose that the phrase A/ Æs Perspective be the official name of this operation. The similarities to A/ Æs Mercy must be intentional. -

The matreearch nodded. - Thank you, Spymaster Varida. I see the concerned looks of those present, and I recognize some of you need time to process A/ Æs thoughts. Please, go back and think about it. Discuss and return. WeÆll meet again in two months. -

I did not intend to carry out the order just yet.

I wanted to see how much mileage I could get out of the threat.

A/ Æs Perspective.

A little embarrassing, but if it struck credible fear into the hearts of any ruler, so be it.

50

INTERLUDE û LIZARDFOLK (PART 1)

Chief Jaan was a lizardperson whoÆd seen too much war in his life, and he had seen too many of their villageÆs spawn and younglings die in the wars. Wars against the other kingdoms, wars against demons. It was just war in perpetuity, and he had always thought this was how life was.

He watched as the matron, the eldest of the females, tended to the spawning pools. Life was cheap.

The spawning pools gave their village hundreds of young broods every year, but everyone knew it was a tradeoff. Spawning pools, in which lizardfolks donated their eggs and seeds into a pool, were a communal affair. The females of the village, when they came to maturity, could all produce a special liquid known as spawnfeed. This would be brewed with other foods and components into a broth, which was poured into said pools. This nurtured the eggs and seeds from their infancy.

Naturally, quantity and quality was a trade - off. Spawnfeed came from the females, and it was a drain on their physique, and its quality determined by how much was produced and how much they had to make. The quality of the other foods and components also mattered in the strength of the spawn.

The first years of a spawnling were their years of haze. Lizardfolks did not gain full sentience and mind until the second year, when they finally stepped out of their spawning pools, but the quality of the food and spawnfeed had a huge impact on how long this took and the level of intellect the spawns had.

Yet, in order to ensure some spawn survived the wars, quality was always sacrificed for quantity. So much so that it was almost a sacrilege to go for quality.

Then he saw the visitors for the first time. The knight, Ebon, seemed like a demigod from the ancient tales passed down from lizard - chief to lizard - chief. His presence far outstripped even the strongest that he had met, and as chief, he had seen many.

Then, a few years later, the visitors came.

With a lizardfolk. A lizard person from the other world, dressed in the bright green insignia of that other world.

Valthorn.

Unlike the lizardfolks of the village, who were generally smaller and had skinny muscles, this lizardfolk stood tall, as tall as the biggest of the other races, with muscles that radiated power. His scales glimmered when the sunÆs rays reflected on it, a reflection of good health. His eyes were bright yellow instead of the dull brown commonly seen in the other lizardfolks.

Everyone fawned, Chief Jaan included. It was fair to say every single lizardfolk stared at Kafa.

The knights chuckled at their reaction. - Kafa, everyoneÆs staring at you again. - Chief Jaan immediately imprinted the name in their mind.

Kafa shrugged. He had been through this too many times; this reaction was absolutely normal. Even back on Treehome, healthy lizardfolks were rare, and lizardfolks like Kafa, who were specially bred for pure power and strength? Every tour of the outer continents was met with fawning looks.

The result of the Valtorn lizardfolk repopulation program over the decades, and A/ Æs dedicated development program, KafaÆs natural abilities far outstripped the malnourished lizardfolks of Mountainworld.

To Chief Jaan, Kafa was living proof that something else was possible. Something other than their endless grind of sending young, malnourished spawnlings to the meat grinder of war.

The village of lizardfolks did nothing. Life in the village was stable, even if it wasnÆt ideal.

The heroes were freed. They broke the demons, defeated the demon king, and the war against the demonic armies came to an end. - A new nation in the lands cursed by the demon. - Jaan heard the news in the cities during the chiefÆs regular tax payment visits to the capital.

This was nothing more than background noise to the village.

Yet that stability was short, because the inter - kingdom wars, long dormant, resurfaced. Old grudges returned, and the kingdoms fought over the right to rule in this new era of - peace. -

He was upset when sixty of his strongest lizard warriors were drafted for the war and never returned. Upset, but they did nothing.

It was when flames of war came for their village that they finally were spurred into action. A skirmish that led more of their people dead and rumors of more attacks.

They thought of moving, even if that meant abandoning the spawning pools. Unlike the rest of the civilized worlds, lizardfolks had no attachment to their spawnlings, a byproduct of their reptilian origin.

Eventually, the discussions on migration led back to Kafa. He thought of the new nation in the cursed land and wondered what kind of kingdom they would be.

Could their spawn be like that warrior?

Branchhold, they called it. It was visible from miles away, the trees of Branchhold seeming to reach so very high into the sky. The largest of them seemed to touch the clouds themselves, and Chief Jaan wondered whether it was just some kind of magic.

Even the air felt different. They felt the ripples of aura on their skins and their bodies.

- Was this city always here? - one of his lizard mates asked.

Jaan never visited this area, even before the wars, but as far as he knew, no. This place shouldnÆt have existed, unless some great magic hid them from the world. - I am not certain. -

The leaves of the forests were vibrant; the grasslands had a life in them that theyÆd not seen elsewhere. There were still fallen leaves and dried grass, but it seemed like new grass had already sprung up to take their place.

The group was greeted by three full layers of walls covered with vines and roots that looked taller than the highest of demons theyÆd seen. Beetles crawled on those vines and roots, patrolling.

The gates were manned by a group of soldiers in bright green uniform. The same uniform of the lizardperson, Kafa.

- Are you here for the resettlement arrangement? - One of them approached them. - Sorry. I mean, are you refugees looking to move to Branchhold? -

Jaan paused at the words and realized that they were, in fact, refugees. He nodded. - Yes. Yes we are. -

The dwellings they received were strange, located at the roots of the trees. They were organized to different sections based on the race of the refugees, and JaanÆs villagers received strangely high - quality dwellings made out of roots. The roots themselves curved to form these roundish dwellings, and there were pools of water for younglings.

What was rather unusual was that each dwelling had their own spawning pools instead of a communal spawning pool. He made a note to locate a spot suitable for communal spawning pools within the area.

- Greetings, Chief Jaan. - One of BranchholdÆs representatives came to greet them, another lizardfolk.

- Ah, greetings, you are? -

- Foorang, IÆm an administrator of Fresh - Branchhold, - the lizardperson said. - How are they taking to their new dwellings? -

- ItÆs very comfortable. We do find some features a little strange, but may I just check, is this our temporary dwelling? -

- Oh. These dwellings are yours unless you find them unsatisfactory. Will you continue to be the chief of these lizardfolks? - Foorang asked.

Chief Jaan paused for a moment. - I see. What will it cost us? -

- Sorry? -

- What will the nobility require of us lizardfolk to pay for such accommodation? A hundred lizardfolk warriors per year? -

Foorang struggled for a moment as he racked his brain for a response. - Ah. Uh. I think thatÆs a conversation with the central governing body. There will be reproduction quotas, like how it is organized back on the Central Continent. -

- . sorry, can you repeat that again? - Chief Jaan wasnÆt sure what he had just heard.

- I think itÆs best that we explain this in a dedicated environment. - Foorang quickly redirected the conversation as he realized there was a cultural gap to bridge. - For now, will you be the chief of these lizardfolks? -

- Why? -

The administrator wondered momentarily. - Every new refugee group needs an appointed representative to the Council of Branchhold. -

- Ah. Yes. I will be, for the time being. -

- Great. There will be a briefing for the new migrants, and you can take two others with you. The council will explain the rules of our city and answer your questions, should you have them, - Foorang said. - There will be a lizardfolk - specific session as well, which we will first run through with the leaders and matrons. -

The issue of taxation and drafting was easy to get through. Lizardfolk villages normally paid their taxes by way of manpower. They supplied expendable lizardfolk warriors by the hundreds, and this was their - tax - to the kingdom.

A shift toward - work - and payment by way of production wasnÆt hard to understand, and Chief Jaan was aware of some lizardfolk villages that paid their taxes by way of swampland herbs and potions.

What they struggled with was the change to the policy of spawning pools. It was a concept that they understood but found hard to internalize. Lizardpeople were expendable. They bred by the hundreds and died by the hundreds. A malnourished lizard warrior was half as strong as others at level ten, but they covered that up with sheer numbers.

Each lizardfolk community would be given a communal spawning pool, but it would be located near the giant tree in the center of the city. There were visiting hours, and each matron would be trained. Each communal spawning pool was also limited to only fifty spawnlings at a time, unlike the multiple hundreds that they were used to.

They were briefed on the objective to breed stronger lizardfolks with higher quality of spawnfeed and additional nutrients, and the city would supply specialized saps that would be fed to the communal pools.

A normal spawnling would take two to three years to mature in the communal spawning pool, so after the first year in the communal spawning pool, each family of lizardfolks would be allowed to move a small group of spawnlings to their personal spawning pools if they desired to raise the spawnlings in their own ways. Otherwise, they would remain in the main communal spawning pool.

The matrons had to work with the herbalists and the druids of Branchhold; coupled with sharing the feed with non - lizardfolks and the spawning limits, Jaan could already see the defensiveness brewing in their brown eyes.

Some of them were already muttering some unpleasant words under their breath, and Jaan got the full uncensored version once they got back.

51

INTERLUDE û LIZARDFOLK (PART 2)

Life for the migrated lizardpeople was comfortable but different. The migrants enjoyed the comforts and the outward safety, but in private, they argued and bickered over the tradeoff. Jaan suffered their pleas and whines, for he was chief.

It was him they blamed for their situation. After all, he suggested this particular location.

- This place is not the way of the lizardpeople. -

Tradition, as it was, resisted change.

Jaan felt tradition was helpful; it helped them make good decisions. But he was not beholden to them. They were not a rule. Tradition was not always the answer.

Thus lay the first schism with the matrons, as that was not how matrons saw it. The matrons believed that tradition was the only way for young lizardfolks to be lizardfolks.

Veer away from that, and the lizardfolks were something else entirely. It was as if a lizardfolk and the culture around being a lizardfolk was inseparable.

That schism was at the heart of their dispute. Was tradition law or just a recommendation?

His ears, if he was human, wouldÆve fallen off, and he could now recite their arguments by heart, the words imprinted into his mind.

But he didnÆt believe it.

Their culture was part of the problem.

Even in their small clan of lizardfolks, there were the traditionalists and the modernists who embraced the new way.

He had hoped there was a bridge somewhere. Something to bring the two sides of the clan together. It existed somewhere, but as of now, he did not see the way to it.

- A/ intends for the lizardfolk leaders to see what life is on Treehome. Ten of your most senior representatives are invited for a trip to the Treehome. This trip will take about three to four weeks. -

- A trip to Treehome? Where is that? - the matrons asked.

- A/ Æs home world. - Jaan gasped. In his day - to - day life, he had heard whispers and rumors that these people were otherworlders, but it was another thing to travel there.

Naturally, they couldnÆt miss the opportunity. Jaan and nine others came, and there were many others. Lizardfolks, elves, and the other migrants had all selected their own representatives for the trip. Jaan recognized a few familiar faces, faces he met during the monthly migrant integration meetings.

They gathered for the trip at the floor of the gigantic tree of Branchhold.

They didnÆt like being here. Just approaching it filled them with a sense of such overwhelming dread, and he could see the same pale - faced expression on his other clan members. They werenÆt exactly sure why.

They brought some luggage along, stored in standardized bags provided by the BranchholdÆs officials. On the ground, there was clearly some differentiation between the officials of Branchhold, and those of this Treehome.

They had a slightly different badge that pulsed and had a strange scent.

- Please stand here. The transportation process will begin shortly. -

Jaan saw the first of the other groups vanish suddenly, and one of the matrons shouted in surprise. The officials quickly calmed her down, explaining that it was a teleportation spell of some kind. The matrons shouted back, at first, claiming that it lacked the mana presence for a spell.

- Chief Jaan, youÆre next. - The officers guided them to the location. He stood, and just as suddenly, he felt a vine touch him. It sent something through him.

You will be sent to another world. Do you agree?

He could refuse, but he felt that the spell could send him through anyway. He knew by instinct it was powerful enough to overpower him. Jaan nodded, and it was instantaneous.

All of a sudden, he was elsewhere. The rest of the representatives from his clan joined him moments later. The eldest matron was amazed. She hadnÆt known of a skill that could send one through worlds.

The air immediately felt different, the stench of the demonic presence gone, replaced by the overwhelming presence in the air, a kind of natural magic. Branchhold was still surrounded by quite a lot of corrupted demon lands, territories unclaimed, and that stench still drifted to Branchhold occasionally.

Here? Nothing.

- Welcome. - Everyone was here, and there were a hundred of them. They were located in a deep valley, though with all the bright lighting, it was hard to tell. - Please, this way. - They were guided to a convoy of tour beetles.

The wide - eyed lizardfolks were led into protected beetles, where they witnessed the vast, sprawling metropolis of Freshka. FreshkaÆs various districts were visible as the beetles crossed the little crest of a hill.

JaanÆs slitted lizard eyes scanned the metropolis from their vantage point. The segments of the academic district with the towers of the FTC, the military - magic district where the Valtorn Order and the mages trained, and the sprawling economic and residential segments that took up all the spaces in between.

He had seen large cities, but never so large.

- IÆve never seen a city so large, - one of the female matrons said, and the eldest matron was just silent. Jaan knew she had a lot to take in. Silence was how she processed information.

After a short moment, the beetles ferried them through the streets on the dedicated branchways that crisscrossed the city. Traffic was hardly ideal in Freshka, even the dedicated branchways had to share traffic with many other beetles, among the other dedicated paths made from branches, and underground root paths that moved people from place to place.

- And so messy, - another human, one of the leaders of the human - faction of Branchhold, commented.

- Some refer to that as being alive. A city that lives. -

Jaan began to tour the districts. Their first stop was the education district, and they were greeted by four young lords of the Central Continent: a treefolk, a human, a Centaur, and a lizardfolk.

He froze when he saw one of the lords and ladies was a lizardfolk, covered in all kinds of badges and dressed in a beautiful set of armor. Whoever planned this trip was clever, and he noticed the matrons themselves glared enviously at the young lady.

- Greetings, I am Lady Ghairen, - the lizardfolk lady spoke to them. - It is my honor to greet our esteemed visitors from Branchhold. It is indeed a shock to me to know that lizardfolks exist on other worlds, too, and also a great honor, that I am tasked with introducing the ways of my fellow lizardfolks to the representatives of Branchhold. Greetings. -

The matrons glares were a mix of both envy and pride. She was tall, and her body strength did not pale to any male. There was a deep sheen to her scales, a clarity to her eyes, a glint to her teeth. Jaan himself was fairly flabbergasted to beauty. It was an admiration not unlike seeing a goddess. He had to dig deep and pull himself to react.

- Now, IÆll be your guide during this process. For the lizardfolks, we will be touring some of the lizardfolk enclaves in Freshka and also a dedicated tour of the lizardfolk villages in the outskirts. We will also be meeting a few elite lizardfolk Valthorns, the valiant warriors who protect us from the demons. -

Everyone nodded. The lady had some kind of skill that seemed to just hold their attention, even if what she said was boring.

A matron immediately ribbed Jaan. - Why donÆt you speak like that? -

Jaan snarled. - Wrong class. -

The college of the nobility and the commoners wasnÆt of much interest to the lizardfolks. The elves and humans, however, found it thoroughly fascinating, as they had some kind of schooling and academy system back home and so could compare notes.

Then they went on to the military academy, and that was when the matrons truly, truly revealed a thirst he had rarely seen in them.

The Valthorns had an area where the lizardfolk Valthorns trained, and all of them were strong, powerful individuals. Their stares and glances were greedy, filled with desire, even the eldest matron.

Lady Ghairen nodded, as if she expected the reaction. She was used to the scene so she didnÆt react to the sight of these powerful lizardfolks. - The Valthorns will perform a demonstration of their levels of strength. The group here is part of the junior batch, at around level sixty to eighty. The military of Treehome is organized around the Valtorn Order, which has the mass military forces, the Valthorns, which comprises the elite forces of Treehome. Within the Valthorns itself, there are further segregations into specialized units, with the junior batch of level sixty to one hundred, the senior batch of level one hundred and above, and the elites, the best of the senior batch. -

- Level sixty to eighty is the junior batch? - One of the matrons wanted to faint.

- Of course. - Lady Ghairen smiled. - The bar to enter the true Valthorn ranks is level one hundred. -

- Level one hundred! -

- To be able to challenge the demon champions singlehandedly, level eighty is the minimum. You will meet a few level one hundred lizardfolks later on. -

- How do they train till such levels? - Jaan was curious about the specifics.

- ThatÆs classified. I do not know the full details of what the Valthorns go through. There are some guesses and rumors, of course, that A/ has some secret dungeons for the Valthorns, but no one has ever found them. -

- I see. - Jaan admired the incredible build and strength of the lizardfolks and felt proud that they could stand toe to toe with the best of them.

The humans and elves were less impressed with the high - leveled elves, because they too had seen level eighty elves and humans, but rather, they were taken aback that lizardfolks, that they normally considered to be generally weaklings, even at the same levels, displayed such exceptional strength.

- I donÆt want to paint the wrong picture here, - Lady Ghairen clarified. - The Valthorns, even the lizardfolks, are trained from young. These lizardfolks are designed and educated for the long war against the demons. They are selected for their exceptional combat talents, and not all lizardfolks live such lives. -

- How many lizardfolks are there? - a matron asked. - How many serve as tools of war? -

- From the publicly available data revealed by the Valthorns, less than three thousand lizardfolks serve in the Valthorns, though about hundred and seventy thousand serve in the Valtorn Order throughout the Central Continent. Our total population, based on the estimates collected by the FFA, puts our lizardfolks at somewhere around eighty million. -

- Eighty million?! -

- Yes, one - third of that number lives in the area of Wetport Lapule, which is the lizardfolks de facto capital. The rest are scattered all over the continent, in smaller towns, swamp and marshland cities, or in the various villages. -

The matrons looked at each other, curious what a great lizardfolk city was like. - Will we be able to visit that city? -

Lady Ghairen wasnÆt sure and looked at a Valthorn assistant. - IÆll get back to you on that. -

The tour took them to the Treeology School, again fairly boring to the lizardfolks but fascinating to the elves, humans, and others.

Sometime later, Lady Ghairen came with splendid news.

- Yes. The Valthorns agreed to provide some free time to visit Wetport Lapule, - Lady Ghairen said with much joy. - I wonÆt be going with you, however, as I have some tasks here. You will be received by a district chief of the city instead. -

Four days it took for the lizardfolks to make the trip to Wetport Lapule.

It was nestled along the Lapula Bay area, where the once - pure waters of the Pule River met the Great Eastern Oceans. Along the eastern seaboard of the Central Continent, Wetport Lapule was the noisy hive of the lizardfolks.

A stench foul to all but lizardfolks filled the air; the place was once idyllic. Urbanization and the massive influx and population explosion of lizardfolks erased most of that purity.

Over ten million lizardfolks lived across the many structures and lizard - made rivers along the coasts of the Lapula Bay, and another ten to fifteen million more across the great metropolis.

Here, it was where the great chiefs and kings of the lizardfolks would rule over the rest of their kind, though no lizard had dared call themselves king of the lizardfolks since the great catastrophe of the Rottedlands.

For all it took was to look up and witness the great tree that loomed over Wetport Lapule, the twisted, swamp - adapted form of their guardian and patron, A/ .

A reminder of death, an obelisk of the great restoration, and also a shining, guiding flame of the city.

Many other gigantic trees loomed over the city and the bay, spawned over the generations by their patron, but it was their Light of the Swamps, the beacon of the Wetport, that was the biggest of them. It was both a tree and lighthouse. On the tallest branches of that tree, there were a stairs that led to a large, forever - burning flame.

They once wanted to replace the flame of the ports with a bright, magical crystal that did not require the careful tending of a group of specialist lizards, the Flameguardians .

Yet superstition prevailed, as rituals and beliefs emerged over the decades and the plan for the crystal light wildly resisted.

What was Wetport Lapule without the ever - burning flames on the highest of their trees? The lizardfolks believed, even if untrue, that the flame was a remnant of the Rottedlands. In truth, it was just A/ Æs copy of the crown of flames that once lit its true body. The lizardfolks needed a lighthouse, and his giant tree could easily serve the purpose.

Despite truth, symbolism. Faith.

Prevailed.

A/ was perhaps wise enough to know that it was pointless to stop superstition. The races sought patterns and symbols, so A/ allowed it.

It was the symbol of rebirth. A symbol of the way home.

Rain or shine, whether storm or hurricane, the Flameguardians ensured the flames lit the skies, marking the lizards return. Next to service as one of the great Valthorns warriors, the Flameguardian was coveted.

Among those lizardfolks who survived that fateful day and lived, many privately worshipped the great tree as a variant, an image of some animistic deity of the lizardfolks.

Heresy. It was not what the Treeology priests taught, thus quietly said and whispered among the closest of lizardfolks. It was something a lizardfolk would only share when their scales touched and their bodies intertwined with each other.

Yet tolerated.

As Jaan and the rest of them marveled at the great, foul, disgusting, and sprawling mass of their kind, at that moment, they had a realization.

- This is what we could be, - the matrons realized, if nothing else. A sight that theyÆd never realized possible, that their kind could have a great city of their own, so massive and so large that the residents of the Wetport Lapule would need days of scrubbing and showering to wash off the stench of all the droppings.

Jaan shook his head. Of all things, this was what the matrons wanted for their kind?

A city of lizardfolks? It was true that lizardfolks did ascend to quite high and senior ranks back home, and there were lizardfolk kingdoms and nations in the past. But the sheer nature of lizardfolk breeding habits and their weaker - than - average strength, on average, mean lizardfolk kingdoms rarely lasted long.

Civil war was common in lizardfolk kingdoms, as generations after the founding king, so many claim to be descendants of the king. Their communal breeding nature did not help, and Jaan had always felt this was a flaw of their breeding practices.

But he did not express his thoughts, as his eyes looked at the city around them. Their carrier beetles led them through the long, dedicated passageways, but they could see housing and shops that seemed to stretch as far as the eyes could see.

Almost all lizardfolks, though some other races had chosen to live among them.

The bay was pristine once, but much had changed. Instead, it was filled with ships of all shapes and sizes, and massive, gigantic lizardfolks meant for war filled the docks.

Pirates. Privateers. Sailors.

Back home, Jaan had never known of lizardfolk sailors. They could swim quite well, but they were most familiar with the shores and seas. Not the deep oceans, but here, their kind adapted.

JaanÆs inspect quickly revealed that their levels were not much higher than his own, yet their physique and health suggested a far better quality upbringing. Their scales all had at least some shimmer, unlike their own dull scales.

- Chief Jaan. - A Valtorn order assistant had to wear some kind of mask. The stench was overpowering. - We are arriving in another hour. IÆll introduce you to District Chief Saraf. He runs District II of the Wetport, and heÆll bring you all around. -

The beetle convoy of lizardfolks stopped at the bottom of the great tree of the Wetport Lapule. The location itself was grandly decorated with a large, opulent receiving platform and ornately carved walkways, lifts and handles. Statues made of valuable materials littered the location, and smaller but incredibly beautiful trees were scattered all over.

Their eyes drifted to the crowd waiting for their turn. There were lines of pilgrims and young lizardfolks, led by their teachers, minders, and matrons.

Faith and superstition reinforced.

But to the matrons, they saw tradition. A tradition not their own.

- Greetings, Chief Jaan. Must be a journey, to come from a small, faraway village to the big city. - Saraf was a tall, slender lizardman with spotted red scales. He was ornamented from head to toe with gold studs and gold - plated scales to replace where some scales had dropped off, gemstone rings on his scaled fingers. He had a large, thick necklace similarly made of gold and silver.

- Greetings, Chief Saraf, - Jaan responded.

- Ah, I must correct you there. I will be referred to as district chief. There are many chiefs in this city, I am but one of the thirty - four district chiefs of the central Wetport administration, and I would be in trouble if anyone heard you refer to me as anything else. -

- My apologies, District Chief. -

Then he laughed and gently jabbed Jaan on the shoulder. - IÆm joking. DonÆt be a tense lizard. Your tail might drop off. We are not so uptight. WeÆd die from stress if weÆre anal about things like naming. Come, come. -

Jaan noticed there were guards but just ordinary ones. Better equipped, and in better health, but noticeably ordinary.

- WeÆve arranged for a trip up to see the Light of the Wetport. ThatÆs the first touristy thing everyone does. Or religious, I suppose. -

- Touristy? What does that mean? - Jaan asked out of genuine curiosity. A concept unheard of, back on Mountainworld.

- What you happen to be doing now, Jaan. Visiting. Touring. -

- Ah. It is a thing here. Pardon me. -

- No worries. Village bum problems. - Saraf laughed as they waited. The matrons watched eager, cheerful young lizardfolks escorted by their minders into specially made wooden lifts so they didnÆt have to climb up the steps. Each lift had multiple ropes and anchors, and once filled and properly secured, it was then lifted up to the top.

The work of lizardfolk crafters and builders .

But not all took the lifts. There were those who took the hike up the great tree as a journey of their own, the fenced stairs and ladders coiled around the twisted giant tree like a snake.

It was soon their turn, but by now the matrons faces were visibly different. They had seen so many, old and young, visit.

The light, a flame that seemed to burn the tree itself, was located on the tallest branch of the tree. It seemed to burn ravenously and burned the branches, intentionally so. Yet it never seems to spread; specialized lizardfolks ensured it never did.

Jaan felt the heat from the bright flames and watched the flameguardians go about their work.

The tour group was safe. Their vantage point was a large ring - shaped platform around the flames. They shared the large platform. The earlier groups were also admiring the flames. Jaan looked at little young children, with their still - tiny scales and bright eyes, wobble and go gaga over the huge flames.

A matron couldnÆt help herself. She approached the guardians of the young lizardfolks and struck up a conversation with the minders. The rest of the matrons swarmed in to join her, eager to learn about the locals.

They were curious, and conversations between the matrons and the minders were juicy.

Jaan just watched and looked at the district chief.

- Everyone visits these flames? -

- Yes. ItÆs a thing. We sell paintings and sculptures downstairs for lizardfolk visitors who wanted to take a bit of it home. Souvenirs. -

- Really? - Jaan didnÆt understand the concept.

- Yeah. I donÆt get it, either. Paintings and souvenirs just canÆt compare to actually being here, high above the city, and being next to the flames that guide our raiding ships home. A painting or a sculpture just doesnÆt have that presence. -

Most captains and sailors had some navigational skills, but lighthouses and ports were structures that acted as beacons in their own minds. Like waypoints.

Symbols.

And if enough people believed in it, the system absorbed elements of the symbols.

Jaan couldnÆt get the matrons to stop talking, but luckily, the minders and the children had to go back to their care centers.

Yet he could see it in some of the matrons, who realized that traditions changed.

Yes, there was an argument to hold onto original traditions, to write them down, to remember why they were and what they were for. Jaan knew that their own matrons understood the traditions and their purpose.

The beetle now led them to tour the rest of Wetport Lapule, which was different.

There was a bustle, an energy in the docks that was palpable. Everyone did something and wanted to do something. There was always a ship setting out, and even though the skies looked cloudy, no one seemed to mind.

Just being here made Jaan feel like he was a slacker.

The eldest matron stood next to Jaan and sighed. - They are so strange. -

- Strange? - Jaan asked.

- Lizardfolks. Sailors. -

- Their world is different. They have large oceans, while ours only has one large one. -

- Their traditions, their ways. So different. -

Jaan nodded. - We may be similar in appearance, but their people changed over time. -

A ship sailed in, battered, but the captain was a large, burly lizardman with scars and tattoos that glowed. Level fifty Pirate War Captain . Enchantments. He wore gloves made of some kind of unusual steel, thick with magical enchantments.

- But look at them. -

The matron gave out a long sigh. - ThatÆs the thing. I canÆt say they are wrong. They have life, and they have dignity, their own city, their own culture. These lizardfolks belong here, unlike us, running and fleeing from the flames of war. Our kingdoms never last more than a decade, and here? -

- They have the might to defend their claim. We donÆt. -

- You know we usually fall to infighting, - the matron answered.

Lizardfolks of Mountainworld were segregated. Separated. Treated as disposable units deployed just to overwhelm their enemies with sheer numbers.

The largest they had was just a city not even one - tenth of this monstrous, sprawling agglomeration. They never got large enough, which was ironic, given their breeding patterns designed for volume.

Even when they did, infighting broke their clans and villages apart, and they were back to square one. The poorer average quality of lizardfolks meant many just died along the way. Their poor skills and abilities meant they couldnÆt even feed that many, if they wanted to.

Jaan nodded. - I donÆt believe they are entirely right, Matron. But there are things to learn from their path. Something in between the two traditions. -

The matron shook her head. - Mixing traditions is even more dangerous. -

Jaan shrugged and saw what they liked. Lizardfolks of Wetland Lapule were truly masters of herbs and potions, due to competition among the herbalists , witchdoctors and shamans , and far better record keeping and tracking of recipes by the central authority.

There was tradition, but new traditions could also be made.

- District Chief Saraf, when we were back on Freshka, we saw some Valthorn lizardpeople. Are there any here? -

Saraf laughed like it was the most ridiculous statement ever. - Is your village so small that they didnÆt even put a Valthorn? The Great Tree has people everywhere. Everywhere. -

He then pointed in a particular direction, where JaanÆs eyes suddenly saw a giant tree, just as large as the one with the flames, located slightly further inland but still deep in the suburbs and districts of their city. - Strange. Why didnÆt I see that before? -

- Tree - magic. - Saraf laughed. - I think. Or some godly shenanigans. But if you want to find Valthorns, that is where you go. ThatÆs also the super - rich district and the administrative district of Wetland Lapule. -

- Super rich? -

- Yup. If youÆre one of the guild lords or great admirals, youÆll have a home in District XII. ItÆs a fancy, really upscale place where theyÆd kick you out if you got a scale out of place. -

- Really? -

Jaan stared, and Saraf eventually shrugged.

- All right, IÆm half joking. The Valtorn Order doesnÆt do that. But the private establishments do. Uppity farts with half - drooping tails between their legs. -

- If you didnÆt tell me, I wouldnÆt think you look out of place. - Jaan smiled.

- Meh. - Saraf cursed. - They think IÆm a tryhard. Fools with too much money and too little brains. TheyÆll be poor in a generation or two. -

Jaan didnÆt get it, but he nodded.

- Anyway, letÆs not bore you with class dynamics in this swamphole. - Jaan saw through SarafÆs fake laugh. All was not perfect here, and so Jaan tried to poke a bit harder.

- WhatÆs life like being. poor? -

- Fantastic. You just make your babies with some whore from the bar and dump them at the Valtorn OrderÆs nurseries, and itÆs no longer your fucking problem, then youÆre back to serving on the decks and a deckhand, then at night youÆre pissed drunk somewhere, somehow, but never actually falling into the bay, - Saraf said. - Then you try to claim every orphan lizardfolk who made it as somehow your descendant. One you donÆt have a hand in raising. -

Jaan felt that sounded way too personal, as if he lived it.

- Hah. DidnÆt expect that, right? But anyway, IÆm kidding. I wouldnÆt want to be poor again. ItÆs terrible. All that alcohol doesnÆt numb the fact that society sees you as worthless. -

Another set of statements Jaan couldnÆt wrap around his head.

- But honestly, itÆs the middle class who gets shoved. Mainly from stupid, ridiculous, absurd property prices. You know us lizardfolks. We donÆt like tall skyscrapers like humans or elves. We like our homes on land, with some bits of flowing water and all that. ThatÆs why weÆve kept building outward and pretty much taken over the entire bay! The other races now call this place the Bay of Lizards. -

They were now back on the deck.

- Huh. ItÆs almost entirely why they instituted production quotas. This place essentially bore the faults of lizardfolks over - birthing in the earlier half century. A/ wanted to repopulate the lizardfolk population, which was fine and all, had everyone listened to their directives and lived in the old lizardfolk lands where thereÆs still a lot of space, but every other damned lizardfolk wanted to be here. -

The chief stared at the district chief again and couldnÆt help but ask. - Why? -

- ItÆs the biggest market for lizardfolks. Highest wages, good competitive roles, best employers, and the land where all the famous non - Valtorn lizardfolks live. If you want to work for a famous buccaneer admiral , this is the place to be. -

- DonÆt chiefs tell the young lizardfolks what to do? - Jaan asked, as if the idea was so ridiculous. Why were younglings not listening to orders? In his mind, there was room for discussions and all, but once the decision was made, everyone had to follow.

That was the way. - Oh lord, youÆre one of those oldies that still wants to dictate younglings, arenÆt cha? -

Jaan paused and felt like he got slapped in the face. Metaphorically.

- Haha, my bad. DonÆt mean to step on your old tail, but seriously, young lizardfolks these days are brought up with so many supplements and provided with such large amounts of knowledge and education, theyÆre just different. You gotta adapt or you wonÆt keep your role for long. -

- Wha -

- I can feel that you come from a place unlike this, but reality is the young will have their own thoughts, and they wonÆt agree with you all the time. Time to let go. Let them experiment. This place was an experiment, after all. Though I suppose you could also say this damned place is an experiment that went on for far too long and itÆs high time A/ stepped in to revamp this damned bay. -

Suddenly, he now understood the matrons resistance.

Tradition dictated that they defer to the matrons on matters of family and raising younglings, and he tried to change it.

Here, his role was subject to change. He was old and felt old. This was what it was like to feel like the world was changing too fast and you couldnÆt keep up.

He had been too selfish and perhaps ignorant. He thought that his own position was safe from change. Was the matronÆs resistance arising out of insecurity over their own roles in the future lizardfolk society?

Where did they go from here?

52

YEAR 236 (PART 2)

- Aworld since Borealworld, - Stella said as she stepped out of the portal and landed right into a pile of mud. Her magical shield immediately popped out around her. Lumoof and Edna followed close behind and looked at the world around her.

Borealworld was linked to two other worlds, and the world was surprisingly empty. Yet, no demons.

- Hmm. Where are we? - Lumoof asked as Stella tried to triangulate her location in the void sea. Each worldÆs location was different, depending on which map we were looking at, so Stella looked back at Lumoof like it was a weird question. He naturally picked it up and laughed. - Sorry, stupid question. Still happens sometimes. -

- Hah. - Stella sighed, and then her eyes gazed on the skies above. The location was not good; it seemed further away from the demon sun. - Not good. -

Lumoof looked. - Well, I suppose all we can do is keep hopping until we figure out how to link our version of the void sea to the demonÆs version of the void sea. -

StellaÆs magical senses blanketed the world and discovered that it was a medieval fantasy society of humans.

- So. Do we spend time exploring this world? - Lumoof asked.

- No time. WeÆll need to keep hopping. We can come back later. -

Edna looked around. - Well, then I shall give it the temporary name of Mudworld. -

- Your naming sense is just as bad as A/ . - Stella cursed.

- IÆm a Knight . Not a Namer . Nor a Scribe . -

- As someone who used to paint posters for a living? -

Edna didnÆt let Stella continue. - Now, now, weÆre pressed for time, right? -

- ThereÆs two, - Stella said, referring to two other worlds we could visit.

- Pick one. -

Stella pouted, waved her hand, and then we felt more void mana in the air. She used solely her void mana, a portal ripped apart the space before us, and we stepped through.

The next world was supposedly MudworldÆs astral neighbor, and it was just quiet. It was also barren and dusty and perpetually gloomy.

The sun was small, tiny. There was a faint scent in the air. Strange and alien. StellaÆs senses spread out, and so did LumoofÆs.

- ThereÆs some living beings here, and I sense magic. -

- Another non - demon world. - Edna seemed puzzled. - If we are headed toward the demons, shouldnÆt there be more demon worlds? -

- Void sea peculiarities. The demons targeted every world that is close, but only from their perspective. From our perspective, it isnÆt, - Stella said. She once described it as each world existing in a 3D space, and the demons compressed it into a 2D flatland from the top. For her, they were viewing it from the front. Our attempts to reverse - engineer the original 3D illustration of the void sea from our 2D perspective proved to be very challenging.

- WouldnÆt our perspective of the astral neighbors be the real one? -

- As real as the demonÆs star paths, - Stella said and sighed. - WeÆre somewhere far away now. WeÆll have to hop again. -

- All right. - Lumoof waited, and then another black void appeared before them.

- IÆll need to rest after this. I have enough for a single portal back, but thatÆs it. -

Edna paused. - Before we go, we should give this world a name. Do you want to do the honor, Lumoof? -

- Tiny Sun World, - Lumoof said, and both the ladies groaned.

- ItÆll have to do for now, - Stella answered. Names were temporary, anyway. They could be updated once we interacted with the locals on a later date. - LetÆs go. -

- Got it, - Lumoof and Edna said, and they were through to the third world.

The third world was a demon-conquered world. Edna was the first to sense their presence, as the demonic hounds roamed the terrain.

The demonic world itself was covered with the same type of spires weÆd seen in other demon worlds. There were multiple large spawning pools.

- Are we close? - Lumoof asked as Edna slaughtered the rest of the demonic hounds. They were weak, but these hounds looked almost exactly like the ones weÆd seen on other worlds. Demonic hounds were frankly like the low - level grunt - type that the demons spawned on so many worlds.

Stella frowned and didnÆt answer. It was a stupid question. She rested in the small prototype rest stops. These prototypes were meant for Valthorns to use in the event they couldnÆt retreat to any of my trees. The domain holders figured this was as good a time as any to test it out. - Honestly, no idea. -

With magical bag of holdings and a set of crystals that functioned as a controller, they deployed a magical wall, a small home, and also carried a small store of materials, things that a domain holder didnÆt really need but was still nice to have.

It was fairly easy for three individuals to hide, and the fact that the defenders were so weak just made it easy.

Edna looked around. The air was fairly dry.

- Houndworld? -

- Hounds are everywhere, not just this world. I donÆt think calling it Houndworld would identify it, though it is quite funny we havenÆt seen anything other than hounds. - But they were not really looking and lazed about in the encampment. Stella took a nap, and Lumoof read a book. Edna fiddled with her knife.

Void mana took about three times longer to recover than regular mana, even with StellaÆs soul and domain powers. A regular archmage regained their mana pool within hours; a void archmage would take a day.

Lumoof looked around and then back at the mostly barren, lifeless terrain. - LetÆs call this Demonhound World? -

- Not better, but I suppose itÆll have to do for now. -

Lumoof shared my ability to see the astral paths, and we saw this world had an active starpath to another world. The demons of this world were invading somewhere else. It was also linked to another two worlds.

Once Stella regained her void mana, it was another choice. There are three worlds we could access, one through the rift gates, once we found it, and two interplanar neighbors.

- Which one? -

- Going to the invaded world is definitely going to be a habited world. WeÆre trying to reach the demon sun this way, so logically we should be going in the other direction. Stella, is there a way to trace the rift paths backward? Like, to see old rift paths? -

Edna stared back at Lumoof. - SheÆs napping! -

- She can hear me, - Lumoof retorted. - I know sheÆs not really sleeping, just closing her eyes. -

Stella turned and yawned.

- Yeah. So you know how roads, after they are not used, they eventually stop looking like roads? IÆm not sure whether these void sea roads leave any. marks. -

Edna looked at Lumoof. - YouÆre saying that since every demon world must have been invaded at some point, there must be a demon world where that was the source. By repeatedly following the source, if such a thing is even possible, you suspect we eventually get to the demon sun. -

- Exactly. YouÆre smart! -

Stella yawned. - Void mana decays very quickly. No marks. -

- What about core mana? -

- Core mana decays when exposed to any form of light. The mixture doesnÆt stay stable for long. Once the rift path collapses, itÆs gone. -

Lumoof paused. - There must be a better way to do this than just randomly hopping, I think. What about the rift gates? Do they have an origin coordinate to call? -

- No, - Stella said. - I checked. -

- How these rift gates are made is still a mystery to me. -

Stella nodded. - They are spawned. -

Edna looked back at Stella, seemingly thoughtful. - Actually, letÆs say our suspicion that the demon sun threw a comet our way, this comet must exist in both perspectives of the demons, and ours, even if its movement is erratic in one of them. -

- It would appear as if itÆs teleporting, - Stella said.

Lumoof shrugged and sighed. - I donÆt get it. YouÆre using void mana, and the demons are using void mana. Why does it work so differently? Are the rift gates doing something weÆre not? You say they look at it differently, and our views and theirs are different. But that cannot be the case, is it? There must be an absolute truth somewhere, even if itÆs beyond our scope of understanding. -

Before Stella could continue, Lumoof went on.

- Like, is void mana compressing dimensions or something? Or does it flattens perspective, and itÆs the users perspective thatÆs flattened? -

StellaÆs eyes widened, and she stared back at Lumoof.

- What? -

- You might be on to something, - Stella said, and she went on a monologue, speaking her thoughts for all to hear. - Void mana as a mechanism to flatten one of the dimensional axes is worth exploring. Perhaps there is something within the rift gates that weÆre not studying properly. If void mana is a form of anti - dimensional mana, then the star mana, which eliminates and offsets void mana, is an extradimensional form of mana or at least contains some kind of super - dimensional quality. Thus they just collapse on each other when they interact in large quantities. Our initial assumption of star and void mana as matter and antimatter is a close enough comparison but clearly misunderstands the way they work. -

- IÆm lost, - Lumoof said.

Edna just closed her eyes and teased the priest. - YouÆve awakened the thinking Stella. IÆm going to take a nap. -

Stella then continued, - If thatÆs the case, itÆs possible to posit that core mana is actually a form of node. Wait. No. It might be that core mana is a form of origin marker, which allows void mana to achieve stability as it collapses one of the dimensional axes. Wait. Wait. That may not make sense, either. Core mana could be a plane of reference that allows the void mana to have directionality. -

I was equally lost, but I supposed it made sense to some people out there. Perhaps the void mages would be interested in such academic discussions.

Stella flicked a finger, and a magical notepad appeared. She began repeating the whole thing, and once done, she passed it to Lumoof. - Send this back home for the archmages. They should start exploring how to go about doing this. -

Lumoof shrugged and activated our teleportation ability. The void mages would have a lot to do. - How long before we can start going somewhere? -

The void mage laughed. - Another two hours. -

- Oh A/ ! IÆve got to bear with your magical mumbling for another two? -

- Hey! -

- IÆm kidding! -

They picked one of the other worlds at random, and it was another demon world.

- Well, if weÆre heading toward demon worlds, that should be a good sign, right? -

Edna nodded. The demons of this world took the form of gigantic turtles, similar to the gigantic lizards seen on the anti - magic world, but also subtly different.

- Demon Turtleworld. -

- Demon Turtleworld it is. - Edna sighed. - We probably shouldnÆt reduce the name of a planet to the single first thing we see. -

- We say that, but we still do it. -

Lumoof looked back. - IÆm wondering whether this is really the best way to do it. Have we tried to just use the rift gates and call home? -

Stella rolled her eyes. - Of course we did. ThereÆs a barrier. So we canÆt. -

- Hmm. Would we encounter a barrier eventually? HowÆd they make such a barrier anyway? -

- No matter, letÆs go look for a rift gate, - Stella said, and it wasnÆt hard to find one. The rift gates were very visible in the large, barren plains of the Demon Turtleworld, so once we found it, Stella captured it and stored it in her own personal supersize magical bag of holding.

The reason for looking for the rift gate was simple. It allowed Stella to find this worldÆs rift gate number, which did seem to be somewhat correlated to distance from the demon sun.

- Yup. WeÆre somewhat in the right direction. LetÆs keep going. -

- Got it. -

It was not a demon world, and instead, they landed on what appeared to be. storms and clouds.

StellaÆs magical shield twisted as her shield was battered by lightning. There were strong storms around them. And yet there didnÆt seem to be any land or earth. Edna and Lumoof both levitated around her, aided by their own levitation artifacts.

- A gas giant? - She looked around. No land at all, but the gas was so thick and dense, it seemed like there were bright rivers of cloud.

She extended her senses to the world around her and through the clouds. Lumoof did the same, but he was uncomfortable in this world of gas. In fact, I was uncomfortable, too. I didnÆt like being so far away from solid ground.

It was just a nagging sensation about being away from earth that I disliked. It was gas and cloud as far as I could feel to our surroundings.

There was nothing below us, or at least nothing except those thick, flowing rivers of dense clouds, intertwined with some kind of magic.

Ley lines, forming rivers of clouds.

This was a strange, strange world.

Edna looked up and squinted. - Hmm. Look at that! -

- Huh? - Stella stared, trying to see what Edna saw. The knight had the best eyesight of the three, her physical abilities augmented by her levels and abilities. - Where? -

- There. -

Stella and Lumoof followed the general direction of her finger and extended their respective magical senses in that direction. They felt something, and then Stella manipulated the bubble of magic around the three and levitated them in that direction.

As the three moved upward, bolts of lightning from the storm clouds around them smashed into her magical shields.

It felt like forever, and those bolts of lightning were powerful.

- Alka would like this. HeÆd probably try to store some of this stuff in his crystals. -

They floated up the skies, and Stella felt the magical energies around her churn. - Weird. -

There were rivers of energy in the form of clouds that flowed in this world. Ley lines. Such a strange phenomenon.

They floated up even higher, and now they could begin to see the sun and the skies above. The sun of this world was very bright but very small.

- I shouldÆve been more careful, - Stella said as she continued to levitate everyone closer to the stars. - I just checked that thereÆs nothing obstructing us. -

- There really was nothing obstructing us. - Lumoof laughed, and then we began to see what Edna saw.

It was hidden, small and high up in the skies. The stormy clouds and lightning made it hard to even see, but then we saw it.

A floating island.

The trio landed on the island and looked at what appeared to be flat on the top. There were no plants; its surface was bare.

- IÆve got no expectations. - Lumoof shrugged. Stella did. She expected an island with trees and probably some people.

Nothing. But why was the island floating?

Lumoof looked at Stella. - WeÆll explore this place for a bit, but if thereÆs nothing, we should get going. The other worlds await us. -

Stella nodded. - Yeah. -

The island itself was really empty, but then Lumoof paused and examined the rock itself. Why did it float? Then Lumoof deployed avatar mode.

My roots entered the stone and rocks of the floating island, and then, as I kept searching, I felt the presence of something at the center of it.

Through my roots, I created Root Tunnel , and both Edna and Stella went to the location where they saw a small black stone plaque. It radiated a presence that felt familiar, and it emitted a strange energy that pushed back against mine.

And it was really, really old.

Stella approached it, and then she stopped. - A/ , itÆs divine energy. Or at least a half - decayed version of it. -

As Stella squatted and examined it, she looked at Edna. - IÆve got a theory. -

- And you want me to listen? - Edna groaned.

- Yeah. -

- Next time? -

- Fine. - Stella pouted. - Lumoof, get down here. -

The root tunnels should last for a while before they started to collapse, so Lumoof rushed down and reached the strange plaque. Lumoof squinted at the etchings on the plaque. - LetÆs keep it for now and letÆs keep moving. We can come back to this Stormworld some other day. -

Lumoof released vines and wrapped around the stone plaque and with a bit of a tug sent it home. It went directly into one of my research pods, along with the old divine wooden log.

The entire floating island started to shake. - WeÆve got to go. -

Stella nodded and began to scan the starways. - All right, goodbye, Stormworld. -

53

YEAR 237

It began with a challenge.

- A/ wouldnÆt actually do it, - some of the nobles said, a statement echoed by many throughout the world. Those older and who had seen the more violent era were wise enough to know I would, and they tried their best to persuade those sitting on the fences.

It was one of those cases where there really was a generation gap in thinking. Those who grew up during the first few decades of my rule would remember me doing what I needed to do. Those who grew up in the post - Freshka dominion would not, so they highly doubted my resolve. Partly because a lot of the duties and battles became things that occurred without much fanfare.

The wars were fought by Valthorns and the elites, using means that most young nobles would not see.

- Would A/ actually do it? - Some younger nobles met with Matreearch Hoyia after a regular sermon. - The threat of capturing all the leaders. -

Her wrinkled eyes seemed to smile. - A priest does not doubt her godÆs words. -

- But - the nobles protested her answer. She nodded and began to walk away.

- Again. A priest does not doubt oneÆs god. If A/ does not act, it is because A/ chooses to do so. -

- How would A/ do it? How is it even? -

The old matriarch just smiled. - Look around the continent, young one. -

- It seems the nobles love to bother you, Hoyia. -

Hoyia smiled at the other old man, who was also dressed in the same robes - one of the fellow decarches of the Treeology, Patriarch Walfad. - I hear youÆve been bothered just as much. -

- Do you remember the last time A/ issued such a public threat? -

Hoyia laughed. - No. -

- This is an entirely predicted response. -

To some extent, it worked. For a while. In the few months following the threats, the propaganda quieted down, and all the participants in the war seemed to take precautions. The war between the guilds and the Holy Empires of the four continents seemed to take more of a conventional approach.

But it didnÆt last, and soon the participants all returned to their old ways. I repeated the threats again and this time had my void mages deliver little messages right to their doorstep.

This spooked them, but I needed stronger deterrence.

So I escalated my response. I hauled up the propaganda masters of the empires and also the warring merchant guilds with a contingent of void mages, where they came face to face with my main body directly, where I then deployed the age - old tactic of intimidation by sheer power. The weight of my presence deployed on these level fifty to sixty Rumormakers , Plotters , Spies and Rabble Rousers .

It made almost all of them pee in their pants. I was fairly impressed with those that could hold their own.

- Do you know why you do what you do? - I asked the few that could still stand. Even together, the level gap was so large that they couldnÆt. Some of them brought out their weapons, their items. They failed before my shields.

It was interesting that oneÆs soul was a weapon. The weight of our presence was a tangible thing that we could control.

Weaponize.

- I didnÆt know you were real. -

It was just sometimes horrifyingly annoying that people didnÆt believe what they didnÆt see. No, even when they saw it, they just thought you were not real.

- Really? Even those with A/ ic classes? -

- Those classes. they are super rare in the continental states! - That wasnÆt true. I could sense their presence. Those who believed in me, and thus gained the A/ ic classes, were scattered on all the kingdoms and even in Mountainworld.

I was silent, and the crowd of inciters shuffled uncomfortably. This power, to find and pick up the masterminds all over the world, was something that tyrants would kill to have. All because of an army of artificial minds and trees monitoring and tracking everyone of any value.

A power unimaginable to our world but possible here.

Power and magic shaped societies in different ways; magic and power added power and tools for a tyrant to rule. A world like this, with this sort of system, was pretty much designed for tyrants.

Every god was a tyrant. Every god imposed their will.

The inciters were uncomfortable, and then one of my spymasters emerged. Spymaster Varida had served us for decades, and he grinned at those present.

Some of them recognized him. - You! YouÆre that merchant! -

- Oh. I am a merchant in service of the great A/ , tasked to haul you fools here. We are here to remind you to play within the bounds set out for you. -

Many knelt for forgiveness. Some fainted, again.

A tyrant flexing his strength on the weak. I felt disgusted at myself for doing so, but I remembered Lilies words.

Mortals needed pain to remember. This was only normal.

- You will be released this time. But next time? -

A portal opened, and Lavaworld was clear for all to see.

- We intend to send those who break the rules of engagement to the demon worlds. And we mean it. -

One of them stood, a priest of Gaya. - YouÆre a demon god! You have the power to access the demon worlds! -

Varida laughed. - It seems you fail to see our perspective. Let us provide you with some. dreams. -

The priest looked horrified. Mental reeducation. Perspective. I wished I didnÆt have to do so. But these folks escalated the conflict and brought about the threats of a wider - scale war.

Dream Academy .

The inciters were all subjected to a dream where they saw the demon worlds and the various conflicts with the demon king.

Dreams of death and destruction.

Blood. Suffering. Pain.

There would be no clean hands in the path I pursued.

I valued choice. I valued freedom. But with choice and freedom came consequences.

This path to end the cycle required me to make some sacrifices, and for the rest of the world, they would have to suffer under my laws.

Every ruler imposed their will or lack thereof. Their power shaped the world.

- There are laws. You may not agree with it, - Varida answered after the session. The inciters were all shaken. It was one thing to incite conflict and flee before suffering the consequences; it was another to directly experience suffering. - But until you are powerful enough to overturn A/ Æs laws, you are subject to it. -

There was not a whimper of protest.

- Remind your emperors and kings that it will be their turn soon enough. You are free to go. -

They all knelt in gratitude.

I felt disgusted again, but this was the steps I must take.

This was the blood on my hands.

I accepted it.

The propaganda shifted once these inciters were returned. A few were so mentally distraught they were unable to perform their duties any more.

Regardless, a message was sent.

I could reach them all, and the emperors truly feared my reach. The merchant kings were horrified to see what was done to their chief strategists, and the letters in their rooms made it clear they were next. If they were not paranoid before, now they were. Trees were chopped down and uprooted. Not a single plant in their chambers and castles. Even plant art or flower motifs were removed and outlawed; those who drew plant art were now suspected to be my worshippers. It was the greatest anti - plant movement, even if they dared not publicly arrest them.

One emperor even decreed that he shall have no vegetables or grain on his meals, demanding to consume only meat, fish, and bread.

But these days, my trees could see a lot further, and my roots were a lot more discreet. My vines could sneak through the gaps in their stone castles easily, even those made with skill and enchantments.

Enchanted castle walls. Enchanted floor panels. What was their skill and ability before the weight of my domain?

It was no more than a paper wall before a bulldozer.

I broke through them easily, and I did so publicly.

It was an event unseen to the larger public, but the nobility all learned not to throw stones.

The vassal wars continued but this time without the attempts to test my limits, and the scopes of engagement were now properly respected. To reinforce the laws of engagement, I commanded the Valtorn s to set up branches in each of the continents so that the continental kingdoms could benefit from the same protections afforded to the merchants.

- ItÆs probably the least bad option, - Prabu said as he ate. The heroes had their own preparations, mainly for the next demon invasion on Mountainworld, and according to Zhaanpu, they also needed to prepare for the demon king two years after that on Threeworlds. Mountainworld already had rifts opening, and a few of the void mages there were deployed to perform scouting.

KenÆs age really was showing. His hair was now all white, and some was falling out. He had the best medical and healing abilities we could offer, so despite his age, he could walk and move just fine. But age was the slow decay of the soul blueprint. A person aged both in body and soul. It was why when the body was healed magically; it recreated or regenerated to the aged body instead of the body from a long time ago.

- Least bad? A/ could do much more. Take away the tools of war. -

- You know thatÆs not practical, - the archmage hero said.

Ken smiled. - I wouldÆve forced them to sign a treaty. Have some kind of Geneva Convention. -

- As if such a convention has teeth. -

- Eh, if it somehow gets absorbed into the system, it would. -

- ThatÆs quite a fascinating idea. - Prabu actually took the idea seriously. - Since the system does respond to changes and has the ability to create new classes, there must be a way to influence the system. -

- YouÆre going into wildly theoretical realms here. - Ken laughed. - But honestly, I think you heroes are unlikely to be able to affect the system. ItÆs likely that itÆs domain holders who get such privilege. -

Mountainworld was invaded by a type of harpy - demon, which highly suggested a flying - type demon. Not the worst type of enemy to deal with, since we had a wide array of anti - air equipment.

- ThatÆs a little heavyhanded coming from the man that thought this was a religious fascist empire. - Prabu smirked. All the heroes except Khefri were in Mountainworld. Khefri instead returned to Threehome to prepare for their own set of demonic invasions.

Ken choked on his drink and then laughed. - The hell with you. -

The void mages had triangulated the location, so the strategy was the same as the last time. The heroes punched through the spawned demons to claim the arrival spot and began to rig the place with bombs.

In order to encourage the leveling of the level one hundred thirties and one hundred forties and get their domains, all the domain holders did not participate in the preparation or the combat. Instead, the preparation was significantly performed by the ones who needed their domains.

But Roon, Johann, and Alka were not far away, just in case.

The locals had never seen so many high - leveled individuals in one place, since many of these Valthorns were frequently never seen in public. They would either be fighting in dungeons, or working in some secret location, or battling it out on Lavaworld.

The heroes didnÆt mind. They were essentially the superheroes, and we were the supporting cast. Rigging the battlefield was our strength.

While the preparation was underway, a group of void mages snuck through the rifts to visit the world of the Harpy - demons.

It was a world filled with soaring cliffs, covered in demon spawning pools. The demons had somehow adapted; their spawning pools were in the form of large bird nests. These spawning pools on these cliffs then had bird - like eggs that hatched these harpy - demons.

Harpy demons were the most common type of demons in this world, but they also had giant demonic birds that could manipulate fire and lightning and giant demonic goats with magical horns, which could leap really high. The few champion types we encountered were larger variants of these three demonic types.

The void mages raided a few of their rift gates, found their pit, placed a few listening devices, and then got out.

We ruled out engaging the demon king on their home planet until we found out what exactly the countermeasures were.

Some of EdnaÆs knights on Mountainworld came equipped with specialized anti - air swords. Edna, during the years since she gained her knightÆs quest ability, consistently attempted the questÆs monsters to unlock all sorts of different weapons.

And so they had an assortment of strange, unusual swords, such as these Feather - buster Swords. She left them in her Knight OrderÆs care for use at their discretion.

Along with that, the crafters and blacksmiths also built large ballistas, rapid - fire arrow - machines, net throwers, and harpoons.

The heroes didnÆt complain about our spawn camp strategy.

It was also a good thing that the site of the invasion was already attacked by demons, so there were very few commoners and regular folks to notice the large amount of items and preparations we made.

Snek had given up on the Ularans back on Ulara. His focus, for now, was the small group of young Ularans that went through training. About two hundred went through the whole rigmarole of training to be Valthorn tier, and honestly, of the two hundred, we found almost three - quarters of them to be inadequate.

Only fifty matched the usual markers for progress to the level sixty to eighty range.

It was a tough message for Snek to swallow, but eventually he understood that it was a game of numbers.

If you hoped to create one hero, and the odds of that hero were one in a million, you really had to have a large pool to pick from.

The Ularans refused to respond to SnekÆs other proposals, at least until he had something to show for it.

All entirely valid points, and I was not keen on moving Ularans to other worlds, since I absolutely did not understand them as a society. At least the Canari lived on Treehome for long periods of time and I understood the forces and factors that mattered in their culture.

I could, of course, use my ability to level up any single Ularan to level sixty. But I was rather sure it would backfire. A poor, unfamiliar level sixty would only send the message that high levels didnÆt matter.

The Ularans must at least be able to slay their local demon champions on their own. Only then we could have a conversation on what and where they wanted to go with their civilization.

My worldhopping trio spent some time on another demon world that was filled with more regular demons. I dubbed it Regular Demonworld 2.

Stella began noticing that the void portals she used to hop to nearby worlds consumed a lot more void mana than before. So they had to spend some time resting and recuperating before they were ready to make another hop.

The sensation on this next demon world was unmistakable.

They instantly felt as if they were bombarded with waves. It was like being on the beach when a storm was raging, the violent waves crashing onto the shore.

The reason was simple.

There was a burning wall of darkness occupying the skies above and beyond this worldÆs sun.

A wall in the void sea itself.

I wondered whether this was a barrier meant to prevent incursions.

Despite the wall, StellaÆs vision could see clearly, and she noticed something moving very slowly in the void sea, though it remained out of range.

- I need more time to observe whatÆs happening here, - Stella said as she immediately got to work. A wide array of monitoring equipment immediately emerged. - I need to get a team here with me. ThereÆs way too many things to understand here. -

Lumoof looked around. - All right, IÆll get in touch with those back home and get started on the accommodations. - The barrier emitted a constant wave of energy that made life on the surface incredibly uncomfortable, so Lumoof activated his avatarÆs ability and then constructed underground dwellings.

There were various pre - made templates stored in their assorted spatial pouches.

Edna shrugged. - IÆll handle defenses, then. Let me just go check out what sort of demons inhabit this place. -

As it turned out, only champions. The presence of the void waves meant any lesser creature without adequate protection was - boiled - out of existence.

Our attempts to discover what was happening encountered another wall. But we now knew we were headed on the right path.

54

YEAR 238

- IÆd feel better if Patriarch Lumoof or Edna were here, - some of the senior Valthorns mused as they prepared the battlefield for the demon king from the harpy world.

- Pretty sure thatÆs what everyone feels, - Arjan said as he participated in the preparations. After his departure from Threeworlds, his new assignment took him to Mountainworld to do something he liked.

Fighting.

The harpy demons had spawned, and with multiple rift gates everywhere, the Valthorns participated in a few defensive battles at the invitation of friendly nations.

Mountainworld had their own high - leveled individuals, but there were too few to actually protect everything. The wars between the kingdoms also led to some unfortunate deaths.

It was a good chance for my guys to gain levels and build goodwill.

The two local heroes, Adrian and Kelly, zoomed from place to place, participating in the defense. They split up but were supported by a few of my Valthorns just to prevent any unintentional events. It wasnÆt impossible for a demon champion to kill a high - leveled hero, even if the chance was very remote.

- ItÆs my first time fighting a demon king outside of my home world. IÆm nervous, - Khefri said as she hung out with the Treehome heroes in Branchhold. They were just one short teleport away from the invasion location, and there were minders tending to them.

- You get used to it, milady. Do not worry. WeÆll be here with you all the way. - Chung smiled. He was thoroughly smitten with the scorpion - lady and so spent a lot of time trying to woo her with all sorts of things. He extensively tapped on the Valthorns to get bookings at the fine restaurants, beautiful beaches, and beautiful gifts, but Khefri wasnÆt impressed at all.

Prabu and Colette collectively shrugged, though they both really enjoyed watching and gossiping. Hafiz was just minding his own business. As king in his own right, Hafiz had a harem of his own, though he fairly recently decided to move his kingdom elsewhere. He gave his own kingdom to his harem members, though he still guaranteed their sovereignty and provided them with protection.

If he died, itÆd be a repeat of what Harris went through, though his harem was a lot smaller.

Ken and Snek approached my valley, escorted by one of my Valthorns. KenÆs hair had turned all white, and some parts were balding. He had the best medical services on Treehome, and with the effect of various abilities, he was in exceptional health, but it was so easy for it to fall apart.

Age was like a gradual decay of the soul, the wearing and withering of time.

- Would you not take A/ Æs offer, Ken? - Snek said, during his break away from the young Ularans. The Ularans progress was as fast as it could be, but clearly not fast enough.

- IÆd like to die properly for a change. - Ken laughed. - In bed, surrounded by my friends. They used to say to die old and with whitened hair is a fortune of its own. -

- And what about a family? - Snek said. - Ularans used to believe that to die at oneÆs den, surrounded by fellow Ularans, was a great blessing. -

- Neh. I think itÆs unfair to anyone to be my partner knowing what I know. - To be fair, Ken did have some dates here and there, but his dates were usually elves. He had a thing for elves, even if he didnÆt mention it.

Eventually, they reached my central valley. Here in the depths of my valley, it buzzed with all the artificial minds and various strange trees performing all the weird research.

Snek looked at Ken and then said, - Well, A/ , thereÆs actually a theory that IÆve had on my mind for a while. IÆm not keen on speaking about it with any heroes around. -

- Yes, yes. And you want to speak about it within my domain protection. - So I allowed the two into my secret hideout .

- A/ , have you ever considered that the gods and the demons are actually on the same side? - Ken said. It was something I heard before a few times, from my domain holders, no less.

- Yes. -

- What do you think of it? -

- Possible, but currently no evidence points toward it. The fact that the demon sun has remnants of divine energy strongly suggests they are not friends. My current belief is to approach the gods cautiously, that these gods are no more than higher - leveled versions of myself, and their ability to intervene is strongly affected by distance. -

Ken nodded and then continued his own side of the theory. - We know that this world copies a lot of abilities and systems from the fantasies of Earth, and a common knowledge is that thereÆs always a war in heaven. A war of heaven. The presence of the dead god at least gives credence that there might have been such a war of heaven. -

- And you theorize that the demons are one faction of gods? -

- Currently, I have three main ideas: one, there is a demon god somewhere; two, the demons are a creation of the gods that overwhelmed the gods; and three, the demons are some kind of shadow of the gods, which makes them a natural counterbalance of the gods. -

- That last idea presupposes the existence of a counterbalancing mechanism in the system. -

- Yes, - Ken said.

- It is also fairly common for demons to be creations of ill will and void energies. What do you think about this sort of theory? -

- That also requires a counterbalance mechanism in the system. Hell exists because of the evil of men. Demons therefore exist because man exists. -

- I hear your concerns that the gods might not take it lightly if we meddle too hard and upset this balance of things. But so far, their behavior has not indicated anything unnatural. Perhaps the gods have not gotten to the point of paying attention to them. -

- Exactly. The gods barely keep track. But if they did? -

- Again, not worth worrying about. Our path takes us to the demon sun, and we will destroy it. Or whatever we need to do to disarm the demons. -

- What if the solution requires you to quarantine them? Have the demons focus only on a single place, a single world, instead of everywhere? -

I thought about it for a moment and nodded. - So be it. If one world needs to be sacrificed to spare the other worlds from the wrath of demons, I will do so. -

- What if. what if itÆs you? What if you have to be the demonÆs jailor for the rest of your life? -

I paused for a moment and asked myself if it was the only way forward. I actually didnÆt know the answer to it.

I knew the heroes would. They were compelled to.

But me? What I did so far was because this thing threatened to destroy us all. But would I go as far as sacrifice myself to stop it?

I - I might.

I wasnÆt sure, but I knew it was the right thing to do in the long run.

Did it have to be me?

Stella was on the demon world, together with Lumoof and Edna. It took more hops, but eventually a group of thirty void mages arrived on the world, supported by another fifty or so builders and other generalists.

They had an outpost to construct, and they deployed a huge amount of magical readers to try and figure out what was going on with the - barrier. -

How did it work? Why? Could we break it or get past it?

The void barrier was extremely fascinating, and my void master asked for help. - Is it possible for you to create a large pool of water here and then invite the zaratans to come and see this? -

- I could, but IÆll need to protect them from being boiled alive by the waves. -

Even the eighty or so support team members had to be covered in thick, protective armor and artifacts, at least before they finished construction of the underground base, which was similarly covered in many, many layers of protection to weaken the effects of the void radiation.

Over the course of three months, they built a massive dome that emitted an offsetting energy wave that counteracted the void barrierÆs radiation waves.

Their studies began to have some success, as Stella and her team were soon able to identify the net flow of energy in the void barrier and follow its energies to trace it to a certain set of worlds within the void sea.

- ThereÆs a set of ten or so planets that maintain these barriers. If we want to get closer, weÆll need to break down the barrier. So weÆll need to hit these ten planets and crush whatever machine thatÆs creating this thing. -

We still couldnÆt see what the demon sun did, but it was likely that whatever it did, it either moved very slowly, or it was just some kind of message.

- All right. So more hops? -

Stella nodded. - Yes. WeÆll need more hops. -

According to StellaÆs speculation, the sun was probably protected by a set of sixty or eighty worlds, each of which had a role to play in the void barrier.

Of course, Roon, Johann, and Alka were rather keen to see some unique demon architecture.

- The demons are clearly capable of building things. - Even my own Valthorns had a different understanding of the demons. Those less experienced, at least, before our education program, presumed that demons only built spawning pools, and those demon rift gates were some kind of invention from elsewhere or were ported in.

It was a very appealing tendency to think of demons as this mindless horde. It was a popular set of thoughts, especially Mountainworld and Threeworld, who viewed the demons as nothing more than overpowered pests.

- How do we hop there? -

- We keep hopping until we find it, - Stella said, now that theyÆd gotten some idea of where the demonÆs barrier world was. - ThatÆs largely the only way. -

- CanÆt you level up, get a skill, and solve the issue? There has to be a better way than just random chance. -

- That requires me actually leveling up, - Stella responded over the transmission. - Building a star map is still a work in progress. Their locations are largely on the demonÆs map, here and here. -

The locations were marked in a magical projection, based off the demon core. - We could try to use rift gates to get there, but we donÆt have enough void mana if itÆs from Treehome. -

- What if we use other places? Like that place youÆre at. Do you think it has enough void mana? -

- Possible. IÆll test it out. -

Roon nodded. - All right. WeÆll join you once weÆre done with these two demon kings. WeÆve got one coming our way soon. -

The seven heroes waited as I gave the signal. My void mages on the demon world already detected the demon king leaving its womb at the center of their world.

It was coming out.

The demon king was a demonic giant of a bird, and the first set of magical traps prepared itself to go.

- Seven heroes, one demon king. A fuck - ton of traps. This should go quite well. - Chung tried to reassure Khefri and calm her nerves.

My Valthorns retreated to a safe location. They would initiate the bombardment and the traps once the demon king landed.

A massive rift opened at the predicted location, and the bird charged out, a flying bird surrounded by lightning. A thunderbird demon king.

Demon King Triclaw has arrived.

The spells triggered, and the Valthorns commenced fire. The entire Mountainworld felt the sudden surge of magic as they unloaded the entire arsenal on that specific valley.

The detonation of so much magic in a single short moment would leave magical scars in the place for decades to come and cause the spawn of various magically warped monsters. But that was a later concern, as for now, the giant thunderbird was bombarded with an overwhelming amount of sufficient firepower.

- Holy shit. - Khefri had never seen such massive detonations in her life. - You guys werenÆt kidding when you said A/ Æs really hacking this whole thing. -

- I know, right? - Chung said as the thunderbirdÆs wings were vaporized, its entire body filled with scars and burns.

The thunderbird regenerated. It had tremendous toughness, comparable to the older demon kings. But we were also getting better at fighting demon kings, and the firepower we deployed just got bigger and better.

After the third volley of traps and bombardment, the demon king was already weakened.

The heroes engaged with their star manaûpowered weaponry and abilities, and it was a fairly short battle.

Seven heroes overwhelmed the demon king to the point it was frankly bullying.

Every demon king was escorted by a small army of demon champions and regular demons. These other demons were fodder, but even they could distract, weaken, and hurt the heroes. But here, they could focus.

When the heroes could focus only on the demon king and nothing else, it made the battle nothing more than a one - sided beatdown.

Even when the thunderbird split into three and summoned lesser thunderbirds, seven heroes was still too much. The lesser thunderbirds were destroyed by the supporting volleys from the faraway Valthorns.

- This is ridiculous! - The Scorpion lady lamented how her fellow heroes died for nothing. - No one wouldÆve needed to die if you guys were there to help us. I didnÆt even need to deal with the lesser pests. -

- Khefri! DonÆt drop your guard. The demon king usually has a nuke at the end, - Prabu reminded.

- Got it, got it! -

They killed the demon king in record time, and the thunderbird was about to detonate once more. It went so well, according to plan.

They teleported out, and the detonation was a relatively small one. It wrecked the valley and left a huge pile of daemolite behind.

Next up was Threeworlds.

- Khefri spoke greatly about your accomplishments in the other worlds. -

- Oh, she has? -

- Indeed. It seems sending her to the other worlds away from me has improved our relationship. Perhaps absence does make the heart grow fonder. -

- She just couldnÆt stand being cooped up, - I countered.

- I admit that it is a flaw of my method of upbringing. It is what I know best. - Zhaanpu chuckled. Khefri returned to her little queendom, where she played with her own harem once more. Her harem members were frankly a little bored because Khefri was away for so long.

- The crystal king sent a missive protesting my agreement with you. Do you want me to have it delivered to your outpost up north? -

- Oh? He has? -

- Yes. They discovered that my hero, Khefri, was missing and traveling to the other worlds. I suspect some of my servants may be compromised, and some of his agents are actively searching my lands, - Zhaanpu responded. - I normally let him do what he pleases. Such small matters are not worth struggling over. But do you want me to intervene? -

- Let him search. - It didnÆt take long for me to detect those agents in the quiet, secluded lands up north. They found nothing, but they didnÆt stop trying. - ItÆll just make him angrier, and IÆd rather not deal with that. Not with the new demon king coming. -

- Indeed. The rifts should be here soon. -

That was when the news was a bit annoying. The demon king would spawn in the human - populated crystal kingÆs lands.

A part of me didnÆt want to assist.

But that was not what I agreed with Zhaanpu.

So now that the battle on Mountainworld was over, we began to move people over to Threehome to wage the next war.

Since Arjan left Hoofhall, the capital of the Centaurs, Eudoxus had continued to work on expanding my influence indirectly. Most of this was through awareness of another world.

We didnÆt need to be so discreet now that we didnÆt have any significant plans beyond friendship. EudoxusÆs plan was to create our own little allied group and draw the attention of the relicholder of the Centaur.

I also engaged a Centaur diplomat from my Treehome and now, armed with what we knew of Centaur society, publicly sent a delegation.

The reception was fairly lukewarm, but my Centaur diplomat Kinnara was eventually allowed to set up a small diplomatic chamber in the outskirts of Hoofhall.

We accepted it anyway. Some official means of communication was better than none, even if the diplomatic chamber was pelted with eggs and other trash every now and then.

They claimed we lied.

They didnÆt acknowledge the existence of other worlds.

It was so weird that people thought that their world was the only world when there was so much evidence to the contrary.

After the defeat of the thunderbird demon king, quite a large assortment of my Valthorns gained levels. A few of them were now getting closer to the level one hundred fifty boundary, but for now, none reached it yet.

Strangely, one of the closest ones was one of the projectile makers. Allana, a Magical Weaponcrafter , was now about level one hundred forty - three, and she had a penchant for making her weapons in exotic locations and making requests to use ley lines energies to help enhance her tools.

It rose quite drastically from this battle alone, and she gained fourteen levels. Partly because she made quite a large portion of the tools used to crush the thunderbird demon king.

For the heroes, most of them gained about three or four levels.

Oddly enough, I also gained two levels despite playing just my coordination and support role.

YouÆve gained two levels. You are now level 240.

New domain skill unlocked: Lesser wooden avatars (shareable with pantheon)

You are now able to create up to five lesser wooden avatars with the strength of approximately level 100. You may use these avatars yourself, or you may link them with any of your fellow pantheon domain holders, where they may use these avatars as a split version of themselves. Your pantheon members can gain experience through these wooden avatars but will be unable to use their domain - tier abilities. Once linked to a fellow pantheon member, the wooden avatars cannot change until it is destroyed. Avatars take a year to regenerate if they are destroyed and can be spawned at any of your clone trees.

I supposed a conversation with my fellow immobile pantheon members would now be necessary.

55

YEAR 239

- WhoÆs best to use the avatar? - Lumoof shrugged. - Anyone, really. ItÆs just a chance for people to see the world for themselves. -

I spawned one of the avatars; technically, the ones that were used by me could be linked and transferred to other pantheon members, but once they were transferred, they no longer could be changed. I supposed that was because this was my pantheon?

The avatar was surprisingly nimble and could essentially take any shape I wanted it to take. It was like a living, flexible, ever - changing tangle of wood and vines. It could form a face and could even talk.

- I think this ability came a little too late, - Ken mused. - ItÆll totally be a human form for you. -

- But itÆs level - capped at level one hundred. ItÆs just a dummy, - Prabu countered. - LumoofÆs ability is way better. -

- LumoofÆs a domain holder. This is a destructible dummy. You could send it to places where you expect it to be destroyed as a scout, - Ken answered the archmage.

- You mean use it like a summoned creature, like how Johann can look through his animal companions? - Roon said as we analyzed the new ability.

- Yeah, kinda like that. JohannÆs pets are way more precious than these spawnable avatars. Think about it: we could use it to communicate anywhere. -

JohannÆs little pet dragon was actually a lot larger than expected. A spawn created from the dragonbones, it was some kind of fire dragon, with jet - black scales. Based on my estimates, itÆd get stronger as it aged, but it was still a long way to maturity.

It was also one crazily hungry creature, and Johann had to pack loads of meat for it. It was a great thing he had bags of holding that could easily store and preserve large quantities of meat.

Without bags of holding, the animal companion would probably suffer for it. Johann claimed that the pet could survive off his magical energy alone but would not be able to grow during that period of time.

Within the Valthorns there was also a debate between whether it was better to level up my domain holders or just try to create more domain holders.

IÆd mostly decided to focus on creating more domain holders, but this argument still came out every now and then. But thankfully, it seemed I still gained levels just by planning and supporting all the demon king battles.

We are not a member of your pantheon, but an avatar is greatly making us reconsider that position. Lilies was surprisingly interested in the avatar. They had made something of their own, after all, but it wasnÆt all that interesting, and the limitations were so annoying that their avatar was functionally useless.

This one, at least, would retain some of their strength, at level one hundred, and allow them to gain experience from the other worlds.

We must deliberate on this matter a little more. Lilies language and sensation felt more keen, more interested, and so, if an avatar was what swayed their position, so be it.

Aria and Aispeng naturally booked one. TheyÆd been carving up various models of their avatar with ice, but their condition was really vain. - I want to decide what my avatar looks like. -

- ThatÆs a small matter. -

- All right! -

The second avatar was granted to Aria and Aispeng, and Aria tried her best to recreate how she looked from a long ago as a human. She really wanted to be a human once more.

Once I created the avatar and linked it to her through our pantheon, she was off fiddling with her avatar.

I also took the chance to offer it to Zhaanpu. Zhaanpu didnÆt accept my pantheon membership due to his concerns about the interactions with the gods pact.

- Tempting. -

But no answer.

- This avatar ability on its own is pretty average, - Lumoof said. - But A/ , the fact that you could share really opened our minds to possibilities. Imagine for a moment if all the domain holders abilities were concentrated in a single body. -

- ItÆll be as strong as a hero, - Stella said. - Or more. -

- It may be a good idea to explore the way it works and to use A/ Æs soul - magic to explore whether we could link power. -

- So we are building off the power of friendship, literally. - Stella laughed at how corny it was. - But I like it. Linking and concentrating the powers of multiple souls in a single body seemed like a great way to create something where the whole is so much more than the sum of its parts. -

It really made me have a different perspective of the soul - stitching mechanism of hexbombs and blood - soul magic.

If we could somehow adapt the links within hexbombs to amplify the power of multiple domain - tier individuals, somehow allowing a single avatar to express their combined power, we could really create a god - level war machine. Hacking the avatar function to host multiple and allow them to amplify each otherÆs ability would really create something world breaking.

- Looks like we have sort of a roadmap to the end: Cometworld as the delivery mechanism, and a multiple - avatar in a single unit as the weapon or warrior to destroy that damned demon sun. -

Sharing power was always a part of my repertoire. My familiars were a means of sharing power, so I really liked this idea. It seemed consistent with the path I took so far. It seemed plausible, even if it involved linking multiple people together.

- Maybe itÆs some kind of pantheon ability, - Lumoof wondered. - We know that sometimes, if we think about it enough, the system finds a way to give it to us. -

- What - Stella looked surprised. - Oh. YouÆre trying to tell the system that we want this sort of pantheon ability. -

- Yeah. Ability to combine powers across the pantheon. -

- Well, then I want the ability to manipulate the movement of an object through the void sea. - Stella pretended to pray to the system. - And the ability to break down that void barrier. -

Edna just laughed at her two fellow domain holders. - Why donÆt you wish for the ability to destroy the demon sun while you are at it? -

- Yeah! But that sounds so vague, yÆknow, - Stella said. - I think what the system awards usually has some specificity, like we roughly know what we want. ItÆll give you a hammer if you know what exactly a hammer looks like and what you expect it to do. -

It wasnÆt hard to infiltrate the crystal kingÆs territory. The crystal king maintains nominal control of all the smaller kingdoms in his territory, just like how Zhaanpu controls all the smaller desert cities and nations or how Hoofhall oversees the lesser Centaur tribes.

That meant it was very easy to disguise ourselves as people from other kingdoms and cities, and we also had - invisible - means of infiltration such as my trees. I was fairly sure the crystal king sensed me, but it hadnÆt gone as far as to order outright deforestation.

The rifts soon spawned demons, and we were greeted with the large demons with axes and wings. In short, the regular demon world.

One of the theories that developed from the void archmages was that worlds that were closer to the source of the demons should be more regular - demon like than those that possessed unusual characteristics like Parasiteworld or Sandworld.

The idea was that the variance in the demons was something that accumulated over multiple invasions.

His idea was demons invaded World A. Demons spawned by World A possessed some additional characteristics adopted from the World AÆs cores. Demons from World A then invaded World B and captured it. Demons from World B thus had qualities inherited from World A and World B. Over time, the demons would be wildly different from each other, depending on the path they went through.

We also observed that each generation of demon king, even though they mightÆve come from the same world, had minor variations, so this suggested that the core of each world essentially had a certain degree of flexibility in the powers granted to its demon king. We saw that when we compared the Sabnoc demon king we faced, and the Sabnoc - type encountered by Adrian and Kelly.

The different types of demons we encountered was the result of cumulative adoption of traits from multiple demon worlds. It was perhaps intentional, perhaps unintentional, but this was a natural theorem arising from the demon-spawning mechanism that adopted its host worlds qualities.

Thus, working backward from this idea, worlds where the demons were plain and regular were thus a lot closer to the demon sun than those further away from the demon sun who went through more jumps.

It was a theory, a hypothesis that we could not quite prove. Each demon core didnÆt keep records of how many worlds came before it. Or at least not that I know of. Perhaps there was some kind of genetic marker within its core.

Anyway, that digressed. We found the rifts quickly, and they spawned regular big demons with flaming axes and the like.

Typical demons, in short. Frankly one of my favorites, because of how big they were.

Some of my void mages snuck through the rift and found another Lavaworld, which we named Lavaworld 2.

We roughly triangulated the location of the demon king, and then we encountered resistance.

- By the order of the crystal king, stop what you are doing. - The crystal king sent a small army to any location where they detected our presence, and it decided to camp at where we wanted to set traps.

The demons spawned, and they fought it.

- We should just let the demons overrun them, then continue with our work, - the Valthorns quipped as we helped the crystal kingÆs minions fend off the demons.

I asked Zhaanpu for his assistance.

- He will not be cooperative. In fact, IÆm fairly certain his preferred response is to let Khefri die and a new batch of heroes get summoned so he can have one hero under his thumb. -

- Ridiculous, - I answered.

- Having fought his forces over the centuries, yes, that is what the crystal king is like. Actually, if I was in his position, that is what I will do, too. -

- What? -

- ItÆs just politics. The balance of power is upset by the presence of heroes. Their response is normal. The only saving grace is that the pact forces us not to use heroes against each other. But each hero makes hero - items, and hero - items still have plenty of power. If I was the crystal king, I wouldÆve done so with probably much better finesse. -

I sometimes forgot that Zhaanpu was just as manipulative as any other domain holder. IÆd lucked out that the first domain holder I met was Lilies, who seemed just happy to hide away in their little lake like a hermit.

I wondered whether Lilies would be best suited to advise on how to merge the powers of multiple domain holders, since Lilies was, after all, some kind of hive mind.

It was another thing in the list of magical research to pursue.

The Vassal Wars threat was not as serious once the fangs of propaganda were weakened. The holy emperors continued to use their power to push back against the merchant guilds, but their leaders took greater control of public opinion and ensured that they remained focused on the merchant guilds, and vice versa.

The holy emperors were also happy to welcome my banking services and some of my security people into their cities, which ensured that some of their nations assets were now somewhat secure.

Yet now it was the temples that goaded the holy emperors to continue and push the war against me, despite the differing counsel of their propaganda masters and strategists.

Thus it was time to flex my might once more and stain my roots and branches with a bit more blood.

I invited another group of senior priests from all the four temples to come meet me face to face.

I didnÆt do this before, since the last time I met the senior leaders of the Aiva Temple was really long ago and I never met them again ever since. All our dealings with Aiva were through my agents and proxies.

It was something that none of the temples publicly stated, because it would greatly impair the nobles confidence in them. What sort of protection could they offer if their own leaders couldnÆt protect themselves?

The three triumvirs of Aiva, the first priest of Gawa and Gawa , the council of five of the Neira were all captured and then, through void magic, sent my way.

It was something to come face to face with so many priests, and I thought they withstood my presence a lot better than the first group of propaganda spreaders and plotters. The priests were far more composed, and they were trained in the priestly ways to combine their auras to resist my own.

Yet it shook them.

All of them looked sick. Unlike the earlier group, they never doubted my existence. They only challenged my rising divinity.

Yet the presence of my domain at level two hundred was a weight they could not deny. My own people spoke of it as being face to face with a force of nature, as if one was in the way of an avalanche, gazing into oneÆs doom.

But they were brave.

These men of faith, for their nagging resistance and struggle against me, had incredible nerves. One of the bravest, a priest from Gaya, stood, his legs shaking, his fingers shivering, his face as pale and purple as one could be, but still he said with every word in his soul, - A/ , you resist the call and prayers of our gods. - He tried his best to speak, but each and every word shook. - Why have you brought us here? -

- I brought you here to talk. And, first, I was never given a chance to accept your call or prayer, - I responded frankly. If I remembered correctly, the Gaya faith didnÆt like trees that much. - A century or so ago, the four temples declared a crusade against me. For what? I tried to sue for peace, for coexistence, but your gods or your leaders then declared I should be crushed. -

They were silent. The edicts of their own gods back then were clear: crush the pretender.

- Only Aiva was wise enough to pull back. - The priests of the three temples heads all turned suddenly at the Aivan priests present.

- What? - They glared accusingly, their question aimed at their peers. - Explain yourself. -

- I spoke to Aiva. Many shouldÆve felt its presence those years ago. -

- You received a message. - The priest tried to downplay what I did.

The Aivan priests shook their heads. - A temporary link was opened. -

- What? - The other priests glared. - YouÆve known how to open a link and youÆve never shared? -

- ItÆs. itÆs complicated. -

- No matter, - I said. - What matters is right here. IÆm here, and your four gods are far away and will soon abandon you. - ItÆd been decades since my talk with Aiva, and I supposed it was about damn time I started spilling beans.

- Abandon us? -

- Aiva said so. The gods reach fluctuates to the whims of the void sea and the great disturbances of the land beyond. -

The priests paled and looked at the Aivan priests. - You know this? -

- To - to some extent, yes. The full truth is only heard by the Triumvirs present. -

- Lies, - one priest barked, but it took all his willpower to resist. - If you brought us here to awe us into submission, no, we wonÆt do it. -

I decided I made my message quite clear and lifted the oppressive presence. The color on their faces returned. - I do not expect or require conversion to my faith. Hell, itÆll be great if you maintain your faith to the best of your ability. -

- Then why are we summoned? -

- Because this war annoys me. - At that moment, a group of void mages appeared. - And I realize weÆre fighting because you donÆt see the greater enemies we face, nor do you truly comprehend what the demons want to do to our world. -

- Greater enemies? -

Perspective. It was a privilege of the Valthorns, and now it was something I had to share with the others.

They may be my enemies, but I believed they, too, deserved to see the truth.

- Come, they will lead you to see the demon worlds. -

The leading priests of this generation stared at the vast, desolate lands of Lavaworld, at the hordes of demons that we left free to roam, so that my Valthorns could fight them for experience.

It was hell and intentionally left so.

- This is where you sent the strategists? -

- No. They were shown the place, but no, theyÆve not visited. Come, let us visit another. - The void archmage led them back, and this time, we sent them through a rift gate.

A rift gate set for Ulara.

With our discovery of the rift gateÆs dialing numbers, and the small amounts of core mana granted by the worldÆs core, we were now able to restore temporary rifts to the demon worlds such as the anti - magic world, Ulara, and many others.

Those more distant or delayed by the void barrier were inaccessible for now. It cost a bit more void mana to form and link the two worlds, but now that we could, I used them to teach, to share and let them witness the world beyond.

I decided I would and should extend this experience to the rulers and nobility.

Perspective.

It was a weapon.

It was an idea.

It was letting them see the sword of Damocles that hung over all our heads, to see the extent of the demonÆs true power, and to unveil the ignorance of their entire lives.

What was remote wasnÆt so. It was a certainty in the future, even if not their own future.

The priests were silent as they saw what happened to the Ularans. How they now lived in little holes rather than the cities of their past.

- The world is a lot more perilous than you know. We face demons who seek to do this to us. To our world, - the void archmage said on my behalf. - Honestly, those of us whoÆve seen whatÆs out there cannot unsee it. Why is it even worthwhile to fight over scraps when there are entire worlds out there that can be reclaimed? Why is it even worth it to fight each other for power when weÆll all get destroyed by something far bigger? -

- The gods will protect us. The gods grant us power to resist those who want to destroy us. -

- They do want to protect you. - The void archmage didnÆt rebuke them. - But they are drifting further away, and their power wanes over longer distances. Your god wants to help, but they are losing the ability. It is our speculation that their weakening power is why we have less heroes. -

- ItÆs all A/ Æs fault. His presence blocked the gods ability to help us. -

- Oh, please. Aiva said so Itself. In about two centuries, itÆll all be over, - the void archmage said.

- This is blasphemy, - one priest said. - One does not insult the gods this way. -

- Is it? - the void archmage said. - But no matter, with A/ , we are reaching to the other worlds to take the fight back to the demons. You folks can indulge in your jostling for position back home, but A/ does not intend to let you disturb our greater war. -

- This system was created by the gods. Your attempt to go against the demons directly is not what the gods planned. - I sometimes marvel at the priests ability to warp any position into an argument against me.

- And thatÆs why youÆre a fool, - the void archmage said frankly. - Do you not see that this system engineers all of us to die? -

- If that is how our gods want us to die, then it is how we shall die. -

My archmage was frustrated, but not all priests were so stubborn. Some saw the other worlds and now realized what we had become.

We were not just a temple ruling a continent. We were an organization engineering the goal of destroying the demons for good.

- What is it that A/ wants? -

The void archmage sighed. - It is not something I agree with, but A/ wants a truce. WeÆll let you fight your wars, but leave A/ and the Valtorn Order out of it. We have bigger fish to fry. -

Some of them were quiet; they took the offer seriously. One of the priests asked, - IsnÆt this just a ploy to weaken us while you gain more power? -

The void archmage laughed. - Yes, but youÆre wrong on one point. We have no need to weaken you. We can crush you now, and it is A/ Æs mercy that prevents it from happening. -

- And you expect us to appreciate that your monstrous god stays his hand? A dictator is still a dictator. A monster. -

The void archmageÆs laughter continued. - Oh, I think you are sorely mistaken. WeÆre not looking for appreciation. -

- Then? -

- I expect you to have the wisdom of leaving the damned beetle nest alone. -

56

YEAR 240

The crystal king didnÆt like us on his land, and he knew we were coming. He could see it, so he sent his men to harass us.

The harassment involved attacks with magic. His mages and his golems. His vassals stonewalled our attempts to reach the demon kingÆs spawn point.

Despite the demons from the rifts spawning constantly, the crystal king treated it everything as if it was under control.

After a long and thorough discussion with my Valthorns on how to deal with this annoying but powerful piece of rock, weÆd concluded that he likely respected strength, and any soft approach would not work.

If we wanted them to give us space to do what we did, I had to show we have every right and power to crush everything that stood in our way.

This applied to all three factions of Mountainworld.

My Centaur spies told me that they wouldnÆt respect anyone without strength. The Centaurs, who had trials by combat to select their leaders, also respected strength. Eudoxus lamented that they even had options for judgments and trials by combat instead of the more logical, evidence - based judgment we applied back home.

For the Sandpeople and Zhaanpu, I also needed to let my fellow immortal see what I was truly capable of. He had heard stories from Khefri and felt some of my powers, but I decided a demonstration of my might was in order.

I didnÆt like this. It was against my insular, turtling nature. IÆm also generally quite paranoid and dislike showing off my abilities too much. My favorite strategy was that of a camper. IÆd build and tech up.

But time and again, my experience over the last century or two had provided me with evidence, with moments where I realized so much shit couldÆve been stopped. So many pointless wars and also the whole silly vassal war shenanigans.

I needed to flex my powers every now and then.

A reminder of how high the heavens go and how tall the tree could grow.

Remind the common folk that I stood above. Even if I didnÆt intend to.

It was the path of the tyrant, and the rice was already cooked. The timber had been made to a boat. The nice tree had been chopped by reality.

Thinking back, I was rarely nice. I thought power afforded me the luxury of being nice.

But it was also only true, if the other people realized I had power. If they believed I was powerless, they would be so tempted to cross me. Treat me as if I was not there. A nonfactor.

The crystal king once said I came to invade.

Well, he was right.

The site of the demon king wasnÆt located close to the crystal king, but well within his territory. There were fifteen kingdoms in the way, all human, and all vassals of the crystal king.

They had fortified the entire path, and then beetles appeared everywhere.

I couldÆve just used Root Tunnels and only invaded the chosen location, but I didnÆt want to reveal that card. I decided to just invade the normal way and clear a path in the process.

It wasnÆt necessary to clear or attack everything along it. There were segments that we could easily take detours, so we did. But I decided to attack about five fortresses along the path simultaneously for the spectacle.

- Milord! There are beetles attacking all our fortifications! - the defenders shouted.

- But where are they from? -

- The trees, sire! -

- Which one? -

- All of them! -

- But. how? -

- I donÆt know! -

My beetles overwhelmed the defenders easily, and I equipped a variety of beetles. Some only injected paralyzing poisons, some more lethal. We had to be; some of these defenders were frankly trying to destroy the beetles, but for most, what we did was flood the area with so much beetles and paralyze everyone, and then the beetles moved everyone out.

I decided to go even further, sending Hytreerion over. HytreerionÆs combat abilities, as I experienced in earlier battles, was lackluster, but against human kingdoms, the walker was a walking fortress that signified death.

He was a walking icon.

This action naturally invited a response from the crystal king. It wasnÆt even hard to detect the magical spells that formed, and they launched magical projectiles toward my Titan.

They were slightly more powerful than the magical blasts used by the demon champions during the Sabnoc era. Those projectiles smashed into my wall of wooden shields. It was powerful enough to destroy a few layers of my shields, but my Titan emerged unscathed.

- Having fun? - I asked Zhaanpu, who was obviously scrying the entire battle. He was curious and couldnÆt help himself. I also knew the Centaurs were watching.

- IÆd say the same to you. That giant creature? -

- A former demon champion. -

- Ah. That explains the similarities. You have the power to reclaim them? -

- I wouldnÆt call it reclaiming, if you know and have seen how they are made. IÆve converted them. -

- Semantics. - Zhaanpu shrugged. - If no one has heard of you before, they will now. The crystal king will take this as the cause for war. -

- One can find a reason if thatÆs all he looks for. If itÆs a war he wants, then he shall have. I intend to demonstrate a few more of my abilities and minions, just to show that IÆm not to be trifled with. IÆll take a tense peace over this constant annoyance of warfare. -

- For a tree, you sure have a lot of grudges. - Zhaanpu smirked.

- ItÆs carved into my being. -

I flooded the area with enough beetles to make the horizon a line of darkness. It was a spectacle, even if it wasnÆt the most efficient.

It wasnÆt even the way I wouldÆve fought.

Instead, my strategists called it a - parade, - and Hytreerion was the big nuclear missile I showed off. I had Hytreerion shoot a few magical blasts, and I intentionally didnÆt interfere with any attempts to scry or spy.

We wanted them to see, and they did.

We didnÆt need to block scrying at where the demon king was supposed to land. The magical energies once the battle started usually caused all attempts to scry and view the battle to go crazy. Too much magical energy interfered with such spells.

But that did mean everyone could see all the teleportation that occurred and all the crystal bombs and trapped that were deployed at the soon - to - be ground zero.

- Impressive preparations, - Zhaanpu praised as he checked the area. - Khefri sung praises of your organization, and I see itÆs not unfounded. -

- ItÆs the work of an institution, not mine alone. My job is merely to set the direction. In time, your men can participate in this and gain levels. In fact, if you joined my pantheon and gained an avatar, you could even participate in the battle yourself. -

Zhaanpu didnÆt respond to my attempt to convince him to join the pantheon.

The area was rigged with our usual stuff. Bombs, bombardment towers, ballistas, traps. Snares and harpoons. The seven heroes all rested in a nearby makeshift dwelling while they waited.

We had some Valthorns sneak to the other side as usual to watch for the signs and plant our listening devices. It felt like we were beginning to develop a set of standard operating procedures on how to deal with demon kings, and I felt cautiously confident.

The heroes were flat - out confident, but both Ken and Kei tried their best to talk them out of it. They still needed to prepare, and the demons could easily spring a surprise.

Our biggest problem, essentially, was we didnÆt know what we didnÆt know.

My Valthorns on the demon world tried to spy and get some ideas, and it did seem fairly typical. The wildcard that I had to deal with was the countermeasures. I didnÆt know what and where they was.

Anyway, for now, ground zero was a large, mostly uninhabited valley filled with trees and animals. It wasnÆt hard to ensure the place was evacuated, and we were, after all, dealing with a typical demon king.

The crystal king was annoyed. He sent very harshly written missives to Zhaanpu, which was meant for me because, well, they assumed I was in cahoots with the pyramid - immortal.

Which wasnÆt wrong.

He was fairly amused. One of my Valthorns activated the item, which was imbued with his domainÆs energies. A missive in crystal form and a holographic memory. It was quite a bit like those crystal image storage devices commonly found in Xianxia fiction.

- The pact of the Three permits no intruders. Pyramid, if you know better, break off your alliance with this foul invader. His presence threatens us all. -

Zhaanpu laughed. - HeÆs taking some legal liberties there, interpreting your presence as an intruder, on par with the demons. -

- From his point of view, the difference in our nature is merely in form and methods. We are invaders either way. You three are the locals, the natives. ItÆs a nativist approach to things, - I countered. - But IÆll say it makes all the difference. It is differences in form, methods, and how we interact that separates friend from foe. -

- Again, differences in perspective. - Zhaanpu shrugged. - I look forward to witnessing this great trap of yours. You seem to have utmost confidence in your prediction of the demon kingÆs location. -

- Well, we hope we donÆt disappoint. -

My diplomat to the Centaurs, Kinnara, was suddenly a very busy lady. Everyone wanted to talk to her.

Again, as a spectacle, there was a sizable Centaur contingent preparing for the invasion of the demon king. They wore ceremonial armor, flashy, colorful, not as practical. The Centaurs wanted proof of the existence of the other worlds.

The Centaurs themselves were fairly fragmented. Each tribe or village was a small nation on its own, with minimal oversight from Hoofhall, and this was especially so for the far out tribes. The Centaurs, as naturally fiercely independent folks, didnÆt really like bothering each other, though, like tribal clans, they often banded together to fight off the humans or the Sandpeople.

Just like what I wanted to do on Treehome, I decided I needed to give the leaders perspective.

To open their eyes to the multiverse.

All in due time, though, I suspected once I did so, the crystal king and the leader of the Centaurs would take this perspective as an affront to their authority.

Zhaanpu didnÆt care as much. Or maybe he was just hiding it. But I had a sense that he wasnÆt really bothered with ruling over people. He often just had to rule, because that led to the best outcomes.

The Demon King Malthusian has descended.

Right at the location we predicted.

The traps activated, and in a sudden moment, the entirety of Threeworld shook from the explosion. The ripple of magic was so intense that even those not normally sensitive to magic felt it.

The demon king took the form of a large, ten - winged demon with four massive arms. But all of that didnÆt matter when the bombs detonated and its first form was destroyed.

It transformed into something smaller.

The seven heroes engaged. But before that, a massive rift gate opened above the battlefield, and demons poured out by the tens of thousands.

A second wave of explosions and bombardments thinned the demonic horde, and the seven heroes focused on the demon king.

It was a fairly short battle, all said and done. The seven heroes had gained strength after each battle, even with their weakened star mana abilities.

The battlefield was littered with magical explosions, and those who sought to spy on the battle soon found the connection to be choppy. Quite like trying to watch a football match on satellite TV when there was a storm outside messing with the reception.

The heroes won. It tried to detonate itself once more. They teleported out just in time.

The battle was won.

More of my Valthorns gained levels. Yet still none at the domain.

Maybe not yet.

WeÆve got a process. I wonder whether itÆs worth it to replicate this in every world we visit. For the levels and for the spectacle.

Spread some goodwill as a dimensional anti - demon force.

The domain holders were impressed but not shaken. But the spectacle was seen by many others. Smaller kings, the vassals of the three Overlords of Threeworlds, all now considered the implication of a fourth force. They were shaken, and many made covert attempts to communicate with us.

Against the wishes of their Overlords.

The questions on their minds were simple.

What did we want?

What were we willing to give or trade?

How would this affect the dynamics of the three - party state?

Were we stronger?

Many had seen the presence of the seven heroes, six humans for another world, and one Khefri. It bolstered ZhaanpuÆs reputation as a wise, farseeing partner able to ally itself.

My diplomat was frank. We wanted unique resources, talents, and abilities. Powers to help the fight against the demons throughout the world. Kinnara referred to her office as a recruitment and marketing platform to pitch the idea of joining the fight. A promise of a fight greater than the world.

If the people of Treehome grew soft, the net must widen.

Treehome was akin to an oil well, where the composition of its reserves had changed over time. In the past, we dug out more black oil, more gasoline. But over time, natural gas would form a larger part of the extracted resources.

On a long enough timescale, there were no permanent reserves, even if I tried my best to preserve and prolong them.

- Wait. WeÆre invited to visit the other worlds? - I had the Valthorns send invitations to all the leaders. - Is this a trap? -

The Valthorns who sent the messages to the various lords, and for the interest of things, IÆd sent the same invitations to the Holy Emperor and Holy Empress of the other continents.

- A trap. -

The priests who returned didnÆt know what to tell them, at least, at first. It was eye - opening but also horrifying. They generally advised the Holy Emperor and Holy Empress no. They were too important. They were rulers of an empire.

An emperor did not take holidays.

But it was no place for a priest to tell an emperor what to do.

An emperor did what an emperor did, and one of them was fascinated so much. Holy Emperor Erranuel read the document and laughed.

- A/ invites me to visit the other world. - He laughed to his court. - He taunts me if he thinks I wonÆt accept. -

The Valthorn was a fairly high - leveled individual at level one hundred. I could sense he was inwardly annoyed, but the emperorÆs aura was a strong one. Such was the nature of ruler classes.

- Tell A/ I am not afraid of him. I will go. Men! Prepare to set sail for the Central Continent! -

My Valthorn shrugged. - That wonÆt be necessary, Emperor Erranuel. A portal will be opened to send you and your entourage across. Along with all the other folks we invited. -

- I think we need a formal tour guide division, - my void archmages privately petitioned. - WeÆre tweaking the rift gates to make it more of a standardized trip. ThereÆs also the issue of these ruler classes. Some of them are using their powers on my people, attempting to sway us to their side. -

Escorting nobility was a common task of spies and diplomats, and thus, I approached the FTCÆs graduates, the lords and ladies of the Central Continent, for candidates.

There were quite a few takers, especially some of these noble classes that didnÆt want to actually go down and deal with the nastiness of politics. A formal role as FreshkaÆs Inter - Dimensional Tour Guides for these foreign dignitaries was respectable, well paid, and none of the risks of assassinations commonly associated with war.

57

YEAR 241

Imet the holy emperor, and I felt his aura brush against mine. It was quite like a dog, barking loudly against a truck. Pointless. He seemed confident at first, as the emperor exited the portal. His small army of companions and guardians followed, but they were pale.

He kept a straight face as my aura smashed into his like a hammer. - It seems the rumors have some steel behind them. -

The confidantes all didnÆt fare better. The emperorÆs aura couldnÆt protect them, and against my own, his aura was pushed back into a small area no larger than the emperor.

- Likewise, - I thundered. My voice these days took the form of the echoes of the forest itself, a thousand trees all speaking at once. They echoed and layered over each other. - Greetings, Emperor Erranuel. Are you ready for your trip across the stars? -

He tried to keep a straight, confident face. I could sense the mild shaking in his fingers, but the fact that he wasnÆt cowered in spite of my weight made me rate him much higher than I would otherwise. - Of course. -

For all the pomp and arrogance, I could feel that this holy emperor had a backbone stronger than many others. The arrogance was merely a cover for something more within him, and there seemed like an actual, active mind within him. - I will send you to the other worlds now. Through my power. -

He nodded and checked on his companions. I felt him use some kind of power to empower his fellow companions. - Steel yourself, men. We are not cowards. -

Some of them look better, a bit of color back to their face. My teleportation ability sent them through to Lavaworld first. - It is not often I speak to you people. I believe your people consider me enemies? -

The emperor paused and looked back at his men. They were now all in another world, and I noticed him touch his skin and feel the air. - Yes. You are our foe. The threat to our empireÆs existence. -

- Strange you say so, when we offer coexistence at every available opportunity? -

The emperor looked at the demons that swarmed Lavaworld. He looked rather sad. - My advisors tell me you donÆt mean it. Coexistence is a lie. -

- We do, - I said. - We have bigger foes to face. Our goal is to end this cycle of destruction. If we could hide the world, we will. -

- What if thatÆs done? Will you seek to annihilate us? - the emperor accused, but I realized that accusation came from ignorance.

- What are your advisors feeding you? Do we seem like a bloodthirsty bunch eager to kill at every corner? -

- The guilds, do you not fund them in secret? -

- No. We certainly donÆt. -

- But the banks? -

- The banks are independent entities set up to protect the wealth of the people. Everyone can use them. Including you. -

- If you donÆt fund them, why do you let them go wild? I ensure all the guilds in my land listen to me, - the emperor countered. - Tell your guilds to stop if you mean to coexist. -

I realized there was a gap in comprehension. I understood coexistence as a hands - off approach. I believed that by not doing anything, I was therefore coexisting with them.

For an emperor, everyone reported to him. So it was natural for an emperor to assume that by allowing guilds from my land to attack them, I really did not have the intention to coexist with them. The guilds, in the eyes of supreme rulers, were my minions by sheer association.

- What if I told you that these guilds are truly independent of me and I have no desire to rule over or control them? Feel free to destroy them if you are able to. -

The emperor paused. - And you wouldnÆt step in the way? -

- Why should I? Guilds come and go. They are just temporary groups of people, like a cult of money or an adventurer party. These are just fickle, temporary existences. Do you care about how the packs of insects form groups or guilds? -

The emperor had an epiphany of his own, as if he suddenly understood that I really didnÆt give a shit about the guilds.

- Capitalism and corporations have a tendency of constantly finding the best way to make money. This time, that sadly meant conquering other lands. -

- I would stop them. -

- Do you stop children from fighting, Emperor? You let them fight and hope they grow. All I will do is set boundaries so that both donÆt end up worse off. But these days, I have to shout to get my rules heard and even summon the parents and the guardians. -

The emperor chuckled at the reference. - Your child is snatching away my things. But you donÆt consider them your children, do you? -

- I donÆt. They are folks that happen to live under my rule, but I do not care for their political structures. These guilds, corporations, cults, or whatever come and go, and in my lifetime, they will fade. ItÆs almost a certainty. If you canÆt protect it, you will eventually lose it. -

- I wasnÆt aware you believed in might makes right, - the emperor retorted.

- What stories do they feed people like you? For an emperor, you must be aware of what bullshit you are consuming. -

The emperor paused. His aura wavered a little as he looked at his weakened entourage.

- I see. The priests often say you are the hidden hand, but it seems we have all been too presumptive. -

- To me, war is nothing more than a complicated, bloody selection and training process for my future war talent. For this war. A war for our right to exist. -

The emperorÆs eyes gazed on the vast Lavaworld, the wastelands, and the demonic hordes that filled the horizon. The perpetual battlefield and my Valthorns training ground.

The war was still fought, of course. Against each other. Like kids.

But for once, they learned. It was nice to feel like they wouldnÆt bother the Valthorns. For a few years. Maybe a few decades if I was lucky. Then IÆd have to do this whole scare - regime again.

It was what it was. My new dimensional tour guides did well; they sung praises of my efforts across worlds. The nobles were treated to a life on the other worlds. Of hardship. Of suffering. Of death.

It was tourism. With my values, my circumstances.

Many nobles came through with some comprehension. The scope remained too hard to fathom, and certainly, it was too much to take in from just a three - or four - day trip across the void sea. My priests were all generally in favor of publicizing the existence of the multiverse to the general public.

As far as they were concerned, it was already an open secret. There were all these folks that came from another world, like the Canari, or those who migrated to the growing Tropicworld. So it made sense to go all out and start talking about the other worlds. It certainly enhanced my position and helped separate us from the regular kingdoms. Everyone was gonna get some perspective.

In terms of finances, my Valtorn Order financial administrators salivated at the prospect of charging a bomb for the privilege of visiting other worlds and creating true interdimensional trade. Money didnÆt mean much to me. To me, it was the ability to direct resources and talent that truly mattered. But this was one of the areas I left it to the experts.

Each trip, theoretically, cost mana. But I had so many trees and so many clones that the mana produced pretty much covered all my military and exploratory use. But commercial trips were usually an entire league of its own, though I supposed I could set quotas.

TheyÆd have to bid for it, or perhaps, a lottery. Then folks would get to travel from place to place. Maybe it should be a one - way trip. Or maybe both, since IÆd still want some financial revenue. ThatÆd help make my administrators happy.

IÆd sell it like - isekai - lite, - that these guys would start out in another world, with the option to return. Best fresh start for anyone sick of their current situation.

I was quite amused by the idea, though I was also horrified at how much I thought like the gods.

Stella, Edna, and Lumoof were on the move again. Thanks to more sensitive sensors and also some artificial mind work, theyÆd roughly estimated the locations of the barrierÆs source worlds and now needed to get there.

As it turned out, Stella figured it was possible to abuse the barrier itself, to use the barrierÆs void energies to create a path to those source worlds. The archmages were also getting better at modifying the rift gates.

They were prepped for a fight; any world where there was some sort of barrier mechanism was likely to be fortified. Unless the demons were so confident. All three took up arms.

- Ready? - Stella looked at her two fellow domain holders, and they nodded. - This will feel different. ItÆs not a portal, but instead, weÆre going to be in a bubble. -

They warped, and Stella flung the three in that bubble of void mana onto the barrier itself. Stella said it was the equivalent of throwing a flat stone across a pond, and the barrier was that pond.

It bounced and hopped off the barrier.

They crashed into a world, their void bubble unstable, but when they landed, they saw a world filled with demons and a lot of demonic structures.

Spires of all kinds. The terrain was dry, devoid of all life. Lumoof extended his senses and felt the core was like any other demon world.

But it was clear this wasnÆt any world, because all they had to do was look up and see that there was a sun with two black rings around it. Even from the surface of the world, they could feel the twisted energies of those rings. StellaÆs magical powers focused on those rings and looked at her two peers.

- Well, the barrier is generated by extracting energy from that strange sun - Wait. - Stella looked around, her magical senses tracing the energies. - There seems to be some kind of space mining. I canÆt see it, but I can sense them from the magical energies in space. -

- Okay. - Edna nodded. - WeÆve got some things to destroy. -

- Those two rings - theyÆre producing void mana somehow. From the sunÆs energies. I could feel them funneling those energies away, into the barrier, but also somewhere else. -

- Black sunÆs essentially stored void mana and doesnÆt generate its own? -

- Maybe it does. -

- But not enough to fuel its ambitions, - Edna countered.

- So the demons capture planets and also capture suns to supplement it? - Lumoof said.

Stella didnÆt seem sure. - There must be something about this sun. We need to get closer. - It was quite amusing to realize that all my domain holders had some kind of summon ability.

It seemed that as one reached that level, having magical minions was part of the skillset. Lumoof could summon spiritual warriors, Edna magical knights. Stella could summon creatures made of void mana, energy beasts. Their summoned creatures fought the demons, while the three continued to survey the location.

The planetary surface was fairly normal other than the high presence of demonic spires and spawning pools. Demons.

- Can you get us to those rings? -

Stella looked. - No issues. Same world. DonÆt even need to spend all that much void? -

She coughed as she felt her own magical senses blocked.

- Oof. Magical shield. We need to bombard it from here, break down that shield, then teleport onto it. -

- TheyÆre surprisingly thorough, - Edna quipped. - Sounds like they have some intelligent demons among those present. -

- Like the demon parasite champions? - Lumoof looked around. The demons on the surface were all regular demons.

- ItÆs possible the demon champion versions of these demons are intelligent. We donÆt even know itÆs just some or all those demon champions. Ally can think. ItÆs not a stretch to consider those here are able to think just as well, - Edna said and then looked back at Stella. - If you need to bombard that place, weÆll need reinforcements. -

Stella nodded. - Yes. LetÆs go get ourselves some rift gates. They should have some on this world. -

There were no star paths for this world. This world wasnÆt invading any other world.

Getting people onto that world proved significantly harder than expected, even with captured rift gates. Its location was really far, and the way they got there was through bouncing off the surface of the void barrier. It was likely that if the void barrier collapsed, a group of them would not be able to return the way they came.

Unless they had my teleporting familiars, which was fairly limited. There were only twenty - plus slots; the rest of the Valthorns typically relied on special - call - home - scrolls to emergency teleport back to a safe location.

We needed volunteers for this mission.

Matriarch Hoyia gathered them, and about a thousand of my best Valthorns came for the briefing. Of these one thousand, I hoped about a hundred would agree to make the leap to the other side.

- This will most likely be a one - way trip for a long time. At least, until A/ deploys a seed on that side of the void sea. Stella, Lumoof, and Edna are now on one of the barrier - worlds, where there is a magical structure that the demons use to extract void mana from the sun via some unknown process. -

Using magical crystals, we could display images and pictures, illustrations of what we had seen.

- A/ is of the view that there is a fairly high risk of death, and his ability to protect everyone is uncertain. It is too far from our home world, and call - home spells will not work. We do not know what this structure is capable of. But if we can break down the protective barrier and infiltrate those rings around the sun, we would take a step closer. -

The matriarch flashed an image of the barrier world.

- We know something is headed our way. This mission supports that agenda. If it is the long - theorized comet of demons, we hope to catch it before it gets near. It is likely behind that barrier. -

She looked at the crowd.

- I understand that some of you may feel that this is a suicide attempt, because of the distance. That is all right. But A/ will need volunteers, those willing to go along with the void archmages to make all the jumps needed. At the final part, Stella will be the one opening the portal from the other side. -

A hundred volunteered.

StellaÆs void explorer was headed in the other direction, as far away from the demon sun as we could. The other side of the goal was to reach the god - covered worlds.

See whether we could get allies.

Talk to gods who could supply us with an army of heroes. One of the void archmages led this part of the project, along with all of our other initiatives.

The Cometworld project met a dead end. It was likely we werenÆt getting the right materials. Or we didnÆt have access to the system.

Veter was one of these void archmages, and he was most convinced of the god - world strategy. It was sensible. If gods could protect their own domain and even send heroes to further out worlds, the best way to defeat the demons was to reach the gods and get their help.

If a bridge could be created via my clone, essentially the gods could just keep summoning heroes and send them to the far - out worlds via my network of clones. I was the funnel, the canal that helped irrigate the abandoned worlds with heroes.

My void - treefolks grew up well. The first of them was in his teens and didnÆt display any unusual behaviors. His physique was reasonable for his age, not exceptional. But his void magic was incredible, and he displayed the ability to manipulate small quantities of void magic with very minimal training.

The lizardfolk experiments were a bit more mixed. Some experienced some challenges later in their life as they aged; the void mana seemed to cause problems for their body that we did not encounter with the void treefolks.

I stepped in a few times to heal these lizardfolks and beyond that tried to correct the flaws created from the experiments with void mana.

The archmages wanted to create all types of mana - attuned people. Core mana or star mana attunement was naturally the next step, though star mana was just as difficult to work with as void mana.

Luckily, star mana didnÆt have the tendency of harming the body. Star mana decayed into regular mana; in large quantities they triggered what we call mana poisoning. Mana poisoning was fairly easy to deal with. Lumoof was one of those who experienced extreme levels of mana poisoning.

We had not been able to replicate the gods ability to create souls capable of producing star mana like the heroes.

It was poured in the heroes through those magical vases as IÆd seen in the soul spring, but the heroes themselves were somehow able to produce some star mana once their soul spring fully converted to that heroic white marble form.

I still tried to recreate it, though from the name, it highly implied star mana had otherworldly origins.

Even my own few star manaûgenerating leaves collected energies from the stars, though my earlier attempts to increase my production of star mana had gone nowhere. Among my normal mage - researchers, the creation of star mana from natural sources remained one of the most highly coveted goals.

58

YEAR 242

Ihad a fairly good impression of Emperor Erranuel. He seemed level headed, if a little misguided and uninformed of what could exist beyond his sphere of knowledge. Once educated, he wasnÆt stupid and commanded his empire accordingly.

War was still brutal as hell.

The merchant kings were far more calculative about things, and they did have a tendency of measuring territories in terms of how much money they made. But the existential threat was super effective.

Since that visit, we maintained contact, much to the displeasure of the priests around the emperor. He had questions, and a curiosity for the greater war beyond Treehome, but alas, we were from different factions.

It was rare to find nobles and administrators interested in the greater war playing out. There were some, of course, and those that did, we would rope them to assist with the greater battle. There was always a need for people to grow our fortifications on our other worlds, such as Branchhold and Tropicworld.

Branchhold remained one of the locations where we maintained just that one patch of land, legally. But since every nation respected us, and we sent our missionaries, spies, and traders everywhere, we were respected as the one true neutral nation in the entirety of Branchhold.

We also spoke of other worlds more openly. This intrigued the nobles and wealthy of Mountainworld, and my tour people had more work to do.

At some point, we would have to allow for more open travel between the worlds; right now the movement of individuals was artificially limited. There were medical concerns, such as the introduction of unusual diseases.

This factor was negligible with my Valthorns since they had the blessings of my familiars and various abilities, but for civilians with none of that, we were concerned theyÆd kill themselves without knowing it.

Even those who went on officially sanctioned trips, we maintained a small team of healers just to make sure they didnÆt suddenly keel over. It was unlikely, but not a good look for us if those that went on trips didnÆt return.

On the Barrierworld, my domain holders and the small group of Valthorns were still at work.

- It would be better if A/ could deploy a seed here, - Lumoof actually suggested, since, with its unusual location, it was hard to ship anything over or back.

- WeÆll need it for the Sun Rings itself, - Stella countered. We settled on the term - Sun Rings - to refer to the two rings around the sun. The Valthorns built a large base essentially overnight and shifted to constructing an array of magical bombardment tools meant to break or weaken the magical shielding around the two Sun Rings .

There was a group of mages that studied those rings, and they claimed it to be some kind of dyson - ring, harvesting sun energy. I thought that was pretty obvious, but I guessed we had to establish foundations, however obvious they were, before we could make more meaningful conclusions.

The main issue with the bombardment tools was essentially range.

We were the equivalent of some guys on Earth, trying to shoot something toward the Sun. The distances involved were massive, and even with the void mages portal magic, which significantly reduced the actual projectile travel time, it still involved a lot of coordination. Teleporting bombs right onto the magical shields was also quite costly, mana - wise.

One of the great things, however, was the presence of daemolite, and it was quite easy to recharge void mana. This world was filled with it; those two rings created so much void mana that some of them inevitably diffused to the environment around them.

So, for Stella, it was just picking up those excess void mana.

Alka, naturally, decided it was best if he went to this barrier world, so he, escorted by a second contingent of about twenty volunteers, also made the journey to this world. Their journey would take at least a year, because even Stella took a while to get to the barrier world.

They estimated itÆd take another year or two to create sufficient tools to bombard the place.

On Threehome, as the specter of war against the demons was behind us, my issue now shifted to war with the crystal king. He had essentially declared war on Zhaanpu, and the rest of us by proxy. What this meant was harassment, since, despite his claim of total war, he didnÆt dare actually mount open war.

None of his vassals were keen on facing a seemingly limitless beetle army, but they postured. It was all smoke and mirrors, all show and no actual action. It was pointless open hostility, but they still did it anyway.

Zhaanpu claimed it was just pride, and frankly, he poured oil on the fire by goading the messenger, claiming he was not afraid of war.

I naturally realized Zhaanpu was a bit of a warmonger himself and loved to use the excuse of my presence to fight wars. Strange, because he claimed he was weary of the war and the stalemate. Yet he was more than happy; hell, it felt like he was looking for any excuse to have a war.

In his own words, - I do not shy away from war. If it is war that Crystal King wants, it is war he shall get. I have scimitars that desire blood. I have raiders eager to hack at their kingdoms. -

The war between the Sandpeople and the fortified humans were essentially rough, and there were no observations of any war conventions. There was rape, there was pillaging, and there was war in its most brutal form. The Sandpeople did not share my values, even if we were nominally allies.

I decided, after speaking to my own folks, to stay out of their shit.

There were centuries if not thousands of years of bad blood between the three factions. Everyone wronged everyone, and I didnÆt want to get into it.

Zhaanpu didnÆt really mind that I didnÆt give assistance. He was a domain holder, and just like the crystal king, he had an ego and pride. He wouldnÆt take things from me, unless it was something he didnÆt want to deal with. Like Khefri.

He made himself clear. - I will fight this war myself. There is no need for you to get involved. In fact, IÆd prefer it if you donÆt meddle. -

My spies eventually realized it was because he had to still maintain the semblance that he was the main boss of the Sandpeople, and thus, it didnÆt reflect well on Zhaanpu, if I fought wars for him.

If his power was not necessary to win the war, the nations of Sand would lose their loyalty, and that was not what he desired.

The Centaurs, however, didnÆt have a choice. They were too weak. They were more than happy to sit out this war between the Sandpeople and the humans. They were the weakest of the three after their recent problems with the previous demon king, and thus they also needed to rebuild.

My diplomat naturally wanted to support the Centaurs in their reconstruction, since supporting the three - party state seemed like a good idea. This was a complicated process since we essentially needed to use portals extensively to deliver goods to the Centaur lands after teleporting them in through my clone tree in the far north.

I didnÆt want to ship goods through the SandpeopleÆs land, since we werenÆt exactly short on teleportation spells, and it just wasnÆt a good political look to ship goods to another nation when we did not give that same support to ZhaanpuÆs Sandpeople.

My diplomats recruited talented Centaurs to join our cause. My Centaurs, as odd as it sounded, recommended me to - throw them into the pool and watch them swim, - as these talented Centaurs from all over the Centaur lands were shipped to Lavaworld, where they found demons until they were exhausted, gave up, or found it to be what they wanted to do.

They were a martial kind, after all, and war was a calling.

The prospect of a war where they could go all out for long periods of time, without having to adhere to any ethics, since demons were pretty much monsters, excited some of them. It was even therapeutic to dance in war with a foe that was truly inhuman.

But it worked, and we recruited about a thousand Centaurs to join us. Warmongers, really. These Centaurs loved war, and our mental analysis soon revealed that as long as we gave them the tools to wage war against the demons, theyÆd be loyal.

It was a drug, and hell, IÆd use it.

Centaurs like Arjan and many others were deployed to the Centaur lands to help them with reconstruction and reclamation of the tainted lands. This was an easy political win for us and made us friends with the tribes that used to own these lands.

It was a dangerous game, of course. Just as Zhaanpu saw the potential for civil war if he allowed my influence to set in, the same would happen with the Centaurs.

Each act that benefitted us pulled some of the native Centaur tribes away from Hoofhall. At some point, they would perceive us as a rival state, rather than friends, and the Centaur tribes may even descend into civil war.

It was a future problem, since right now they were in no condition to do so.

Along the same lines, my diplomats tried their best to get closer to the powers within Hoofhall.

Even till today, I knew little about the magical creature or item that claimed to rule over the Centaurs. Zhaanpu himself was vague and elusive about the nature of the Centaurs guardian, referring to it in passing as - them. -

One day.

59

YEAR 243

- How many bombs do you think itÆll take to break that down? - Lumoof asked. Alka arrived just a few weeks back and got straight to the task of battering down the magical shielding around the Sun Rings .

We did test detonations, where we sent smaller bombs toward the barrier, and they worked fairly well. The shields held, of course.

- IÆm guessing something a hundred times bigger, if we go the normal way, - Alka said with a big laugh. - ItÆs a blended shield with demonic and void mana. All we gotta do is dump star mana on it, and it should go crazy. -

The demons had some kind of defense mechanism, of course, where we detected the Sun Rings emitting a distress beacon, the same one that came from the demon mother.

- ItÆll just drive the demons nuts. - Lumoof looked. - Sure thatÆs a good idea? -

- Well. We have company, - Edna complained as she went out to deal with the champions that spawned out of the demonÆs core. Nothing we couldnÆt handle. Not yet, anyway. ItÆd take the demon mother itself for us to actually plan something serious.

The Barrierworld itself was astral neighbors with two other worlds, but Stella was too busy trying to crack the magical shield to travel there. One of those astral neighbors was inaccessible anyway, somehow located behind and on the other side of the barrier, despite being clearly visible to us.

- I think we could dig a hole, though, - Alka said. - Rather than blow up the shield, it may be easier to just go with an offsetting magical signature to neutralize the effects of the shield, creating a small path for us to go through. -

- You do realize if whatever we use to create that hole collapses, weÆll have no way out. -

- Just make more. WeÆre not exactly limited by resources. -

- We are. -

- Oh. Then, Stella, travel back to Treehome to fetch our stuff and back. -

- Hey! The void mages can do that! - Stella whined as she did her own things. - Besides, you need me to offset that void magic element in that shield. -

- But youÆre a lot faster. -

- Next time A/ gets more clone seeds, we should recommend he keep two in reserve. WeÆd have a much easier time if we could place one here as a base of operations, - Lumoof said. Not all items could be sent back and forth with my ability, and for larger items, the void mages essentially had to be magical couriers and delivery.

- That starts us down the path of eventually asking A/ to keep a hundred clones in reserve. - Alka laughed.

- If A/ had a thousand clones, weÆd have an amazing time. Imagine the number we can field across such a world. -

- If that happens, A/ Æs new job will be a full - time email server manager, - Stella joked.

- I didnÆt get that. -

- Imagine someone whose job is to tell messages where they need to go, from world to world. -

- Oh. That sounds mundane as hell. A/ would just offload it to an artificial mind . - Alka laughed. - By the way, I read the studies about Void Magic as a mechanism to flatten a limited aspect of dimensional space. ItÆs intriguing. -

Lumoof and EdnaÆs mind promptly shutoff the conversation.

- It is, right! The concept of void magic as an anti - dimensional mana seems to be linked to this barrier. By pushing this ability to the extreme, theyÆve somehow created a null - dimensional space. The demons essentially created an impassable barrier. -

- You could reverse it or offset the effects of the barrier. -

- On a smaller scale, I could. At least, my smaller tests suggest I could do it, but the power at place here is orders of magnitude higher. IÆll need something much more powerful to break it, and we need to get a sustainable opening, if we want to look behind the veil. -

Alka looked up at the Sun Rings . Stella nodded.

- The demon sun is clearly able to release a portion of its energies to support the demon kings on their invasion. You think those rings also serve as a form of funnel? -

- I would think so. The rhythm of invasions may be somewhat linked to these rings. -

- DidnÆt seem like something the demons would do, to restrict their own expansion that way, - Lumoof butted in.

- ThatÆs true, unless this was a defense mechanism against the gods. -

- The gods canÆt reach them. Or maybe they used to. - Lumoof thought. - When the multiverse was smaller. - The concept of a multidimensional expansion was probably weird.

- Maybe they donÆt know that, - Stella said. - Over the eons, itÆs likely this barrier itself will collapse as they run out of the mana needed to maintain it. -

If space constantly expanded, and mana consumption thus increased with space, it was only logical that eventually this barrier would consume more mana than could be produced and thus collapse on itself. This null - space barrier was very, very tiny, as it turned out. The demons were spreading it thin.

It worked both ways, of course. If I could create this null - space barrier, it should break the demons ability to invade as well. Permanently, at that.

It was likely Alka had a point. The demons had a way of getting things out, despite the presence of the barriers. These Sun Rings likely served as gates into the protected area. Anything going in or out of the demon-space was through those rings.

- So even if we get onto that thing, do we destroy it or capture it? Both work, but capturing it would let us tap this massive void mana generation device, - Alka said. - If we break it, and somehow cancel this barrier, weÆd have free access to the demon realm. -

- YouÆre saying as if itÆs a done deal. - My void archmage stretched. - We donÆt even know what happens if we destroy the Sun Rings . -

- Over a long period of time, it is. - Alka laughed. - HavenÆt you spent the most time with A/ to know that everything is ultimately inevitable? I prefer to capture them. Access to large quantities of void mana and the ability to study the magical concepts behind them would greatly push our comprehension. This is an actual magical structure that could ultimately redesign our future. -

- When you put it that way. - Stella looked up. - There is incredible potential for the ability to manipulate space. -

- Why canÆt we use it as a weapon? -

- Souls reject void mana, remember? ThereÆs a reason we go through that toxic void - mana ordeal in order to become void mages. Also, these dimensional spaces are inherently unstable and will collapse. -

- DoesnÆt seem that unstable to me. - Alka laughed in jest. - But I get it. -

One of the Ularans back on Treehome finally reached level seventy, and with the right equipment, the Ularan Earth Mage could technically take on a demon champion on its own. Once they were better prepared, I would intend to send them to Lavaworld where they could fight with the demon champions.

Snek, of course, was excited to see one from his world get stronger. There was still more to go.

But his partner was getting older, and increasingly, Snek grew worried.

- Ken, are you sure you donÆt want some kind of magic treatment? - His level plateaued. It was true that levels made them live longer, but KenÆs age was now closing in on the late seventies to eighties.

The magical snake didnÆt age. But Ken did, and Ken resisted all attempts to de - age or extend his longevity more than necessary.

Even the heroes were increasingly touchy about it, especially Chung.

- Bro. - Chung met him for lunch back in Freshka. - I know itÆs hypocritical of me to ask this, but please, reconsider your choice. WeÆve been friends for decades now, and I canÆt see you go. -

Ken laughed. It was true that Ken looked like a man in his sixties, while Chung appeared to be no more than a man in his late thirties in amazing shape. - If you know me that well, then shut it. -

- I canÆt, bro. WeÆve been friends for decades, and frankly, thereÆs that few of us. If A/ offers you a deal, please, take it. -

- Fuck that, - Ken said as he sipped on his anti - oxidizing tea. Health fads were very real in this world, since magical teas did exist.

- You donÆt intend to see A/ reach the goal of defeating the demons for good? -

Snek, who took the form of the tiny lizard, agreed with Chung. - Chung has a point. A/ needs guidance. -

- All I provide is trope advice. And these days, everyone has heard my tropes a dozen times over. IÆd like to age gracefully and die in my sleep as I originally envisioned. Let me die, brother. -

Chung didnÆt seem happy and decided to approach me directly for a deal.

- A/ , weÆve fought together many times. Can you go against KenÆs will and let him live longer? I canÆt bear to see a friend of mine die. IÆve seen so many of mine die back during the early days in this world, and the idea or thought of seeing Ken die? -

- He is healthy and well. He still has a few decades in him. There is no need for this conversation. -

- But he looks so old, and he? -

- He reminds you of his mortality. -

Chung sighed. - Yeah. Looking at him, his skin wrinkled, his hair white, I canÆt help but really feel how fragile his life is. Like all it takes is just a snuff. -

I felt that way with everyone, actually. Everyone aged and died. - If it makes him happy, I wonÆt go against his wishes. -

- IÆm a hero. HeÆs not. Do something. I know IÆve been a bit of a rebellious bastard, but make a deal with me. DonÆt let him die. -

- You seem confident that you will live longer than him. He doesnÆt serve on the front lines, but you do. Perhaps you should care about your own life more than his. -

It was still early for any of them to die, actually.

60

YEAR 244

- All right. Shield - piercer deployed, - Alka said with relief as the portal closed. The magical artifact floated into location, right above the shield around the Sun Rings . - Activating. -

The shield - piercer was a ring - shaped object about the size of a rift gate. It was large, about three stories tall, and meant to essentially create a hole within the shield by creating an offsetting magical energy.

It was a work of incredible craftsmanship; a few level one hundred craftsmen had to travel to Barrierworld to see it made.

The Shield - piercer whirled to life, and my void mages grinned. - Yep. It works. Ready for our invasion? -

- WhatÆs the freaking plan? - Lumoof cursed. - Go in, deploy A/ Æs seed, and conquer? What if the seed doesnÆt work on the rings? ItÆs not a planet, you know. You canÆt grow plants on steel. -

- It doesnÆt look like steel. -

Stella looked at the rest. - Well, I think the four of us should go first. If the coast seems clear, then the rest of the team comes in. -

One of the level one hundred forty Valthorns nodded. - WeÆll cover the base here if you need a place to retreat. -

- Got it. -

- We donÆt really know what we are dealing with, - Lumoof said.

- My bet is more demons. - Alka laughed. - But you know what? The four of us can go with minimal risk. All we waste is time. -

- A/ , should we go? - Lumoof asked for my opinion. Stella and Alka both advocated going; the prospect of learning something new was worth it. Edna was neutral. Lumoof was the only one feeling a little cautious. - I feel like, given the size and importance of the Sun Rings , its defenders are likely more powerful than what weÆve seen before. -

- Agreed. But we need to do this. We canÆt figure out how to deal with the demons without some risks. -

Alka had a point, and I couldnÆt just wait here. WeÆd have to risk it. - Four of you go. If it seems clear, then call the rest of the team in to investigate. -

Lumoof nodded. - As you command. -

The void domain holder weaved her void magic through the Shield - piercer, and then the portal whirled into existence. She frowned. - Not very stable, thereÆs some disruptive elements coming from the surface of the Sun Rings . Possible anti - magic presence. -

Alka looked around. - We go first. The rest stay behind. -

- All right. -

The four moved through the portal and landed, possibly, as the first mortals on the Sun Rings .

Title awarded: Invaders of the Ring

- Snarky system. - Stella cursed as we landed on what was super, super close to the sun. At this distance, there was a perpetual searing heat that threatened to bake anything that faced the sun. A protective shield emerged above, and even that was cooked.

As we looked around, we were pretty much on the inner side of a Ring World. On this side, it was just a sheen of gold; the surface was cooked. But we saw some crystalline formation collecting the sunÆs incredibly intense mana.

That heat was laced with mana.

It was star mana, yet it didnÆt feel like star mana of the heroes. Instead, it felt like a raw form of star mana, untouched by the divine energies of the gods, very much like those produced by my little star - mana producing leaves, but in a slightly different form.

Even star mana had variants within them.

- Stella, I thought the prevailing theory was that suns donÆt produce star mana. - At least, our tests didnÆt indicate that to be the case. We were unable to replicate the conditions of Cometworld, but our tests on Treehome, Mountainworld, and Threeworld did not find any star mana from their suns.

- Clearly that theory was wrong, - Stella answered. - Some of them still do. -

Alka countered, - Maybe itÆs just the starÆs age. Ken once told me that a star goes through a life cycle of growth and gradual death. This is a sun in its dying days. Like Cometworld. It takes the dying moments of the sun to produce it, and this is a really large sun, so. -

- Has a long time to go from when it starts producing star mana to its dying moments. -

There was nothing here. Not on the inner side.

- LetÆs move to the other side of the ring, - Stella said. - Bad news is weÆll have to walk. At this distance from the star, IÆm feeling quite a strong drain on my magic. -

- Fine with me, actually. -

The walk was uneventful, and for four domain holders with all sorts of augmented abilities, they moved quickly. LumoofÆs blessings and enchantments meant they moved through the strangely steel and glass - like structure of the Sun Rings .

Then we reached the dark side of the Sun Rings and were greeted with demons. The demons were slender and looked quite like those cool demon knights weÆd seen long ago. They all had swords.

- Company, - Edna said, and her weapons shredded them easily.

Here, on the dark side, the weather and temperature took an abrupt turn, becoming incredibly cold instead. We also had a better look at the materials beneath us.

Crystals and glass, with bits of steel and rock. The unusual magical formations seen on the rift gates were seen here once more, but in different words and different patterns.

The demons had their own runic language, one we didnÆt understand, though we tried to copy it.

The defenses were cleared fairly easily. At least, we managed to remove those that we found with not much trouble.

- Think itÆs safe to call the rest of the team here? - Stella asked.

Alka nodded, squatted, and touched the floor. It was beautiful when it wasnÆt burning hot. - Yeah. I want people looking into these glass materials beneath us right now. They are incredible. -

Edna looked around the cold, dark side of the Sun Rings . - IÆll look for somewhere to set up a base. ItÆs likely we wonÆt have any, if this whole place is built for purpose, so weÆll have to just set up camp on top of this. -

- ThatÆll have to do, I suppose. -

Stella nodded as she did her thing, a portal whirling into existence. - IÆm still feeling the mild magical interference, and I think itÆs coming from beneath us. -

- Ambient interference from the sun? -

- Possible, but you think the glass has some anti - magical qualities? -

- WeÆll have to look at it, - Alka said. - CanÆt say for sure, even with my identification abilities. -

Lumoof spread out his own senses and mine. I felt like I was floating in the air, despite the presence of a solid surface. This whole thing was artificial. It wasnÆt Earth. Except certain parts. My senses abhorred most of the surface, but it was likely the Sun Rings were built by joining asteroids or planetoids together to form an underlying structure.

There were parts where I wanted to be. Parts where there was an asteroid still hidden underneath all the glass and crystals.

Lumoof repeated our observations, and the rest of the team stepped through.

- Should we approach the holes? -

There was a part of the Sun Rings where the star mana of the sun was pulled and pushed through a set of unusual gigantic holes on the Sun Rings . That was where the star mana was somehow transformed into void mana. It certainly invalidated the idea that super - dimensional mana could somehow be converted into anti - dimensional mana. Or at least there was a way to excise the - super - part and replace it with - anti - ?

Or there was a way these two facts could exist while still being true?

Stella shook her head. - I think weÆre not ready. LetÆs just do some more research. We find out what we can, then once weÆre mostly done, we push through to those places. -

- Why? Because of defenders? - Alka countered. - We could get more research done there. -

- Well, yes, - Stella said. - If that place is important, itÆs likely to have stronger defenders. We have a good base of operations here. We ought to just stay here and take what we have. -

Edna nodded in agreement.

- Very well. But we will be spending time. Valuable time. -

Nothing much occurred for the next two months, as the demons ignored our small base of operations in that quiet corner of the Sun Rings . The samples of the Sun Rings materials were extremely interesting, being made of some kind of fusion of crystals, anti - mana glass, and some weird type of steel alloy not found on our worlds.

That steel alloy felt like one of those rare minerals only found on selected worlds, a world we clearly needed to capture for our own.

- So weÆre ready to go? - Alka was excited, as were the rest of the team. We packed up and began to journey to what we referred to as the - Furnace. -

The journey there was littered with demons, and we slaughtered them as they came. There were no spawning pools here, so we had no idea where they came from.

Then after a month of walking through the magically disruptive dark side of the Sun Rings , we arrived at the Furnace. Strange statues were along the surface of that circular ring that guided the jet of void mana.

The Furnace was massive; looking across it was quite like looking at the moon. The distances were probably similar, or more, since this was pretty much a solar - scale superstructure. The ircular rings were made with even more unusual materials, and the magical energies here were extremely powerful. The void mana generated and sent into the null - dimensional Void Barrier and beyond felt like an intense pulsar.

A very intense pulsar that even my domain holders couldnÆt get near.

This was akin to approaching the sun itself. WeÆd be baked alive. For the level one hundred thirty and one hundred forty Valthorns, this was a sight theyÆd probably never forget.

If they survived this trip.

- You know, the idea that the demons are some kind of self - replicating machine is starting to make sense, - Alka said. - This is the kind of thing IÆm pretty sure Ken would say to be the work of a robotic creature. -

- demon-golems. - Edna shrugged. She spent enough time with Kei and the heroes to be familiar with the terms.

Lumoof looked at Stella. - Well, from our earlier observation, we know that capturing this structure is impossible. WeÆd only be able to capture the rock - remnants still within certain parts of the Sun Rings . -

- That only leaves destroying it, - Alka said.

- Can we even destroy something this massive? - one of the Valthorns interjected.

- WeÆll have to? -

At that point, we noticed the statues around the circular furnace activated. A distress signal? Stella immediately cursed.

- Prepare for battle. We have company. -

The aura we sensed was immediate, as a rift opened right in front of us. A demon king emerged. It was a massive creature the size of a building; it had two glowing axes the size of cars, and armor. Around it were those slender demons, but with more power than before.

Demon King (Defender) ? arrived on ?

- NowÆs not a good time to be funny, system. - Lumoof cursed.

The entire Sun Ring vibrated and then pulsed. The glass - crystal structure underneath our feet glowed, the symbols and runes flashing.

My mages immediately cursed. - Shit. A strong anti - magic suppression field! -

It was so strong that it would disrupt most normal magic and StellaÆs portal ability.

Edna looked back at the demon king and smiled. - Well, it seems IÆll have to hold the demon king back. Lumoof, Stella, Alka, get everyone back to safety. -

- Safety? - Lumoof cursed. - Not everyone has teleporting familiars. A/ canÆt recall all of us back with it. -

There were about eighty level one hundreds with us. About ten of them were in the level one hundred thirties. I wasnÆt going to lose them. TheyÆd served me for decades.

They were prepared to die. I wasnÆt planning on letting them die.

EdnaÆs magical shield appeared and parried the demon kingÆs axe. - Figure it out, Lumoof. -

Lumoof looked around. With the anti - mana present, it meant most magical forms of teleportation to safety would be out of the window. StellaÆs own void mana was somehow nullified. Normally, it wouldnÆt affect her, but there was just way too much anti - magical suppression on the Sun Rings that it overcame her domain - tier abilities.

The demon king roared, and I felt it use some kind of anti - magic ability, too.

Edna cursed as the ability bounced off her shields.

The level one hundred thirties were not ready for this fight.

- Lumoof, - Alka said, somehow turning back to join Edna, - use A/ Æs clone somewhere. The domain abilities should circumvent the anti - magical preventions. WeÆll waste A/ Æs ten years. But itÆs better than losing our people. Go. Take Stella. -

Lumoof and Stella both nodded. - All of you, with me. We need to get to a location on the Ringworld that has an asteroid underneath or within it. ThatÆs our key out of this, or weÆll be killed by the demon king. -

Lumoof activated one of his strongest blessings. A priestÆs abilities were mixed, some spell - based, some system - based, and they immediately empowered the entire group.

Edna attacked the demon king relentlessly, doing her best to attract the demon kingÆs aggro.

But it was not the only demon. Demons emerged from everywhere, as more rift gates opened. The demonic knights poured out of them.

- How do the demons do it? - Stella cursed, as she had to rely on conventional weapons. The level one hundreds and one hundred forties could deal with the regular demons, and with LumoofÆs blessing, they could flee. But there was nothing that could really take down a demon king, and attempting to fight it now was a stupid idea.

Thus, the only solution was to retreat.

The win condition was to stall the demon king, and Edna had to occupy it before it reached any of our non - domain holders.

- Lady Edna, may I join you? I hope your Duty is already active. - Alka leaped to join the battlefield. My researcher had rarely seen battle, but he had seen enough from afar that it didnÆt scare him.

- Of course. But I hope itÆs not a death wish. - Edna laughed as she parried a few more furious, earth - shattering strikes from the demon king. The attacks left huge gashes in the glass - crystal platform beneath them. - You have a plan? -

- Just one, really. -

Alka looked back. Lumoof, Stella, and the rest were speeding through the Sun Rings . TheyÆd likely reach somewhere safe soon enough.

Edna parried more attacks, and Alka threw some bombs to shake off the smaller demons. - You donÆt really need to help, you know. A/ could just pull me back once you get to safety. -

Alka laughed. - Actually, IÆm just buying time. -

He looked back again, as more time passed. He was protected by a wide variety of skills and abilities, but they wouldnÆt hold against the demon king.

So, for now, he was just nearby, waiting for the moment and watching Edna harass the demon king as an undying knight. Her sword of anti - demons was like a golden flame, and it left some clear cuts on the demon king.

But this demon king was at full strength, not yet weakened by bombs or traps. She may be strong, but she was not yet enough to beat a demon king on her own.

Yet the demon king was gaining ground and pushing them back. EdnaÆs range of attacks was also running out, and it was increasingly clear that the demon king began to realize he could ignore Edna.

Alka looked back at Lumoof some more. It felt like they were far away.

Lumoof and Stella reached a particular segment of the Sun Rings . With the anti - magical aura present throughout the Sun Rings , void mana teleportation was impossible.

- Here. A/ , can we use the seed? -

- Yes. - It was a difficult choice. IÆd give up the flexibility and insurance of one clone seed for the next ten years. But I had to.

I wouldnÆt let these people die. Not when they were so close to the domain level.

Lumoof pulled out the clone seed from his pocket space and with his entire strength punched the platform. It left a crack.

It wasnÆt necessary. My seed pierced through the platform like it wasnÆt there and zoomed toward the rocky portion hidden underneath all the glass and crystal. My ability to seek out soil was uncanny, and a clone emerged.

My tree cracked through the platform and the turbulent magics, and I felt the magical power of the Sun Rings interact with my own.

It was strong and felt like burning lava. This Sun Ring produced more mana than I had a few times over.

The Valthorns looked relieved as they rushed to the clone.

- All right. LetÆs send you guys back. -

- What about those on the surface? - There were some of them still on the worldÆs surface, not on the Sun Ring .

- TheyÆll have to wait. Stella will have to come back and pick them up. -

They touched my tree, and I sent them home.

Lumoof and Stella didnÆt go through. They waited.

- Should we go help Edna and Alka? -

The demon king naturally felt the presence of my clone and immediately assessed me to be its greatest threat. It wanted to move.

Edna pulled out a harpoon and attempted to shackle it to the ground. She wasnÆt strong enough to hold the demon king down.

Alka smiled. - Edna. IÆm coming. -

Alka ran toward the demon king as he consumed some non - magical potions. His speed wasnÆt impressive, but it was enough to dodge some of the demon kingÆs magical attacks and get close enough.

The demon king saw him coming, and the axe almost landed.

- I always wanted to do this. -

Alka grinned.

- Always a bomb . -

AlkaÆs body flashed, and at that sudden moment, the entirety of the Sun Rings shook. It was an explosion so large that it was equal to any of the traps we left for the demon king. Alka had somehow tricked his ability into accepting the traps as a single superstructure?

A sudden burst of light was so bright it briefly outshone everything in the world and could even be seen on the worldÆs surface. The explosion ripped through a portion of the Sun Ring Æs platform and charred the demon king.

But this was no ordinary demon king. It was a Defender, and its toughness was incredible. The explosion merely revealed an inner self that was thoroughly unharmed. Slimmer. Smaller. But still just as powerful.

It had a sword of liquid blood that came down with the fury of an angry god.

Alka cursed. - Oh fuck. -

I pulled my domain holder back home using my Court of the Deitree .

The attack wrecked the already wrecked platform. The Sun Ring shook as a segment of the Sun Ring cracked and shattered.

Edna laughed. - Oh dear. A/ , I think weÆre done here. -

- Agreed, - Lumoof and Stella answered.

I pulled all of my three remaining domain holders home.

My clone was the only thing left on the dark side of the Sun Ring . I had never fought a demon king head - on. This was perhaps my only chance. In truth, there was nothing more to achieve here.

The demon king instead turned to my clone tree and charged at it. Furious. Angry, its attack was incredible. It met my wooden shields, and my shields shattered. But it did not hurt my clone.

It attacked again. And my shields shattered some more. But its blades or claws didnÆt reach my body. I countered with my roots.

I was stronger. I was no longer an ant trying to bite an elephant. I was just a small cat.

But my defenses were leagues above my offensive ability, and I blocked every attack the demon king threw my way. Shields were shattered, but I could make more than it could shatter. This exchange of none of us hurting each other lasted for hours.

Then it stopped and called for help.

Another distress signal. I sensed a twisting in space. A rift opened.

Demon King (Defender 2) ? arrived on ?

- Oh shit, - I cursed as I watched a different type of demon king emerge.

Realizing that I was fucked, I decided to not let it have the luxury of killing my clone. I pulled my clone back and unmade it.

- That was a disaster. -

- No one died. I donÆt call that a disaster, - Stella said. Luckily, the void archmage on the surface world quickly ordered everyone to retreat once they saw that bright light coming from the Sun Rings . They were far enough not to be affected by the anti - magical properties and could still teleport away.

- But the barrier is still there. -

- That is true. But it is weaker. Fainter. I can see deeper into it. -

- Well, we could do so again? -

- When A/ Æs clone recharges in another ten years, - Stella said. - We know AlkaÆs bomb ability worked. We can bomb that shit out of existence. -

- So what now? Recharge and go at it again? - Lumoof asked.

Stella looked at the barrier from the safety of Treehome. - Actually, we have a comet to deal with. -

TREE OF A/ Six

2024 SPAIzzER

1

YEAR 245

The comet. It was a red glowing world from our view.

We saw it only briefly, in the moment when AlkaÆs explosions temporarily disrupted the barrier of the void. The disruption caused the barrier to become so thin that we could see what was beyond it.

An object that moved slowly in the still extremely large void sea. During that short window, we were able to see it move. It teleported, at least from our perspective, yet we were fairly certain it got closer.

At the same time when the barrier was down, a transmission from the comet itself got through, and we detected it as a momentary flash within the demon kingÆs core - map, quite like when a software update was pushed out to all devices. The comet wasnÆt even hiding itself because it shouted its location to all the demon kings, and in an act of utmost confidence, the update even came with its trajectory through the void sea.

We just couldnÆt see it on this side of the barrier before, and now, Stella gazed at the core map. - Looks like once it got to the other side of the barrier, weÆd detect it anyway. -

All in, it would take about another twenty - five years to reach us if our estimates were correct.

We now had a countdown to work with, and we actually went to two of the worlds close to its expected path.

- We have two chances to hop onto the comet, - Stella repeated. One in eight years, another in fifteen. After that, it was going to go through what appeared to be a large patch of void sea with no known astral neighbors. - If we want to hit it and destroy it before it lands, thatÆs our two moments. -

I cursed. I wouldnÆt have a clone ready in eight years!

- Lumoof could just camp on the comet for two years and deploy your clone once itÆs ready. -

We devised a plan to counter the demon comet before, in the off chance we got to face our own demonic comet. The strategy can be summarized o four key steps.

Invade, manipulate, destroy, evacuate.

We would invade the comet if we could reach it and attempt to manipulate it. If we couldnÆt, we would destroy it. If we failed to destroy the comet, we would evacuate and attempt to reclaim the world after the demonic comet made impact and smashed into Treehome. Evacuate was my least desired option, since it essentially reset all the gains we had made with Treehome.

Invade, manipulate, and/or destroy the comet. That was my preferred option.

My void mages were most excited, especially those who worked hard to manipulate Cometworld. Here was a world, traveling through the void sea! They immediately wanted to know how the demons did it and if there was a secret on this comet we could learn.

If it was a device, we would steal it.

My entire institution was geared for this moment. To get ready for war with the demons. To prepare for an eventual counterattack. We knew it was coming in the days since the demon king was slain on that other world.

Eight years from now, its expected path would take it really near to the demonic Turtleworld. That was where we needed for the first attack on the comet.

We would have to give up on Barrierworld and the Sun Rings for now. We would return to it someday, once we resolved our comet problem.

- All right. We got eight years before it crosses path with the demonic Turtleworld, - Lumoof announced to the group present. The announcement of the coming comet to the entire senior leadership, and almost all of the Valthorns, - Some of you involved in the Margmarian Dwarves city ruins will find this extremely familiar, because we are essentially dealing with the same counterattack from the demons. -

The crowd went wild as they talked with each other.

- A/ and the domain holders have essentially outlined a few key strategies, and our goal is to intercept the demonic comet. We will attempt to capture it, failing which, we will attempt to destroy it with as many bombs as we can. -

- Are we doomed, Lord Lumoof? - a Valthorn stood and asked in panic.

- I donÆt see why we are, - Lumoof said. - Once we reach that world, we have about thirteen to fifteen years to destroy the demonÆs comet. ItÆs certainly not as scary as I made it out to be. -

- ItÆs a planet. -

- Our initial estimates based on whatever little data we have reveals that it is a world half the size of our current world. Still pretty big. We largely donÆt know whatÆs on the comet, whether what we accomplish is even possible, and all that. Our goal, therefore, over the next eight years, is we must be prepared to bomb this world to smithereens. - One of the void archmages stood to present their findings.

The crowd quieted down when Lumoof raised his hand.

- We will be splitting the Valthorns into multiple task forces. -

Alka took the stage. - I will be leading the destruction force. The goal is to blow this comet up if we canÆt capture it. The existing group thatÆs making bombs will need to massively scale up its work. -

Edna, Roon, and Johann led the invasion force. They needed to build a massive base of operations on the demonic Turtleworld, and also Lavaworld, and prepare for that day. They would need to get there to support the destruction force.

One of the void archmages and a lord from Tropicworld would have to lead the evacuation force. WeÆd plan to evacuate everyone to Tropicworld around one to two years from impact if we realized we had no way of avoiding that comet.

Stella and another archmage led the void manipulation group, with the intention of redirecting the comet toward somewhere else. This was the same group that worked on Cometworld, so now they would have to take their failure and hopefully turn it around.

There was also a group that worked on - shielding - and - bunkering. - Essentially a repeat of what the Margmarian Dwarves did. This didnÆt end well for them, but unlike the Margmarian Dwarves, we were now a multi - planetary organization. We knew exactly what everything was, and as long as my body stood on Treehome, bunkering could be a viable strategy.

We just needed to be way better prepared than the ancient Dwarves.

Aria and Aispeng naturally panicked. They were not here when the comet came the first time. - Can you move me? I mean, I know IÆm not normally helpful, but I donÆt want to die. -

- Your true body is deep underground, right? If so, you may not be that much of a risk. -

- WeÆre talking about a planet - sized projectile. How are we not fucked? Everything on the surface is going to be destroyed. ItÆs probably big enough to blow up half the planet and some. Even Lilies is going to be in trouble, but I guess theyÆre not so much at risk since they can cocoon themselves. -